Jumping at Shadows
by wolfluvermh
Summary: With the Soul Stone back in their possession, the Great Wolves are returning harmony back to the world; but some would say they're doing it in rather unharmonious ways. When Chaos, King of Shadows and Seth's gruff mentor, goes missing and Kendra gets kidnapped, Hell seems to be released. But there's more to the big picture, more than anyone could've ever dreamed...
1. Prologue

**Guess who's back…**

"**Love is a trap. When it appears, we see only its light, not its shadows." – Paulo Coelho**

* * *

**~The Wolfen Chronicles: Jumping at Shadows~**

**Prologue**

So kind, the master is. So very, very kind. Feeding his subjects, bringing them to the moon. He banishes away their nightmares, so every night, they sleep calmly. He takes away the weariness of bondage from their souls, and lightens their hearts. He tames the dark and looks kindly on those dependent on shadows.

And the master is so wise. So wise. He has seen the earth spin for centuries, each year sharpening his mind and honing his skill. He knows when to attack. He knows how to kill. He is intelligent enough to see the flaws in his race. And the clever master works to outthink those of his higher species. He works to repopulate his world. And the master will succeed.

That's another thing about the master; his determination. The tenacity at which he hunts among the humans is unrivalled. He has seen the world at its worst. He has caused the world at its worst. He is the most magnificent creature in all of time. But that was Before.

Before the wolves returned. Before the world the master had tread upon turned upside down. Before the humans he hunted became the targets of another race. Before the master grew tired of old Esclavo. Before the humans became the servants instead of the meal.

Now good old master has a new plan. Now the master doesn't need Esclavo any longer. And so Esclavo is dying. Slowly, slowly, slowly. Life is going.

The master had been kind enough to share his plans with Esclavo, though. Esclavo knows. Esclavo can hear it, in his head; the _rap tap tap_ of leather boots tromping around, high above Esclavo. He knows the way the master is conning the men, sinking into their minds and fooling their silly little thoughts. Making them fear what they do not know. The master drinks fear. Fear and blood. It is humorous to Esclavo how often the two come hand and hand, like lovers to the altar.

Silly humans, so easily persuaded. It mustn't have been difficult for the master to influence the fools already frightened. The wolves made this so simple for the master, beginning to unveil their eyes to the secret world. The cults starting worshipping dragons and lionizing fairies. Their world is changing. They had no leader. The master stepped up. The clever, clever master tamed them and calmed their nerves. He bound the men to himself with his smart tongue.

Now, he's moving in the shadows. Now, he's shifting in the dark. Now, he's attacking under the cover of night.

Now, the master is making his move.

Esclavo sighs, watching his blue blood trickle between his butler's suit and through his fingers, running like sapphire rivers over the grey stone. The master had been kind enough to shear a sword through Esclavo's flesh in a place as peaceful as this. Above him, the stalactites drip with cave water. The constant melody is soothing. Esclavo closes his eyes, remembering one of his last conversations with the Master.

_Why have you bothered me, Esclavo?_

_Master, I have been thinking—_

_Esclavo, you know how I feel about that. _

_Yes, but, Master, you might want to know this._

_Very well. What are you pestering me with?_

_Your wives have all been failures. Your father's wives have all been failures. But maybe a human wife isn't what you need. _

_I am not compatible with anything but human – oh. _The master had blinked in surprise, glorious face shocked. Then he'd glared at Esclavo in suspicion. _You thought of this, Esclavo? _

_Yes, sir. I have been mulling over it for a while._

_You thought of this._

_Yes, sir._

_Then your time is ending. I would say I'm sorry, Esclavo, but I'm not. _

Esclavo smiles. The kind master, ending his life at long last. He'd had the compassion to bite Esclavo, to numb his body, before driving his sword through Esclavo's heart.

The bittersweet smile that pulls at Esclavo's lips is so filled with memories he shudders on his cold deathbed. Esclavo closes his eyes, still smiling, and reflects on his wonderful, brief life. He hadn't been able live forever beside his beloved master, because only the master lives forever. The master. The master. The master.

Esclavo opens his eyes, grinning crookedly at the ceiling. "My master is coming for you, Sorenson," he whispers as his life slips from his body. "Beware of the dark."

* * *

**And we begin! **

**Thank you, all of my returning little readers! Sorry it took so long to get this out here, I just love drawing out the suspense! **

**SO. As you might've already noticed, I don't have a set cover for this fanfiction yet. And for that, I'm calling all artists and Google Wizards. I'd like a dramatic picture of Chaos. Doesn't need to be anything major. I don't really need the Mona Lisa. Something cool. If you want, you can even make one for Time and Time Again. **

**MAJOR HINT: as you might've noticed, I've put out a few new stories today. I'm seeing which one gets the most attention. If you want me to start on this fanfiction, then shoot me a review and root for it!**

**POLL: Who's looking forward to Brackendra? Can I get a whoop whoop?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	2. Chapter 1

**I have some very grave news for you; you won! Congrats and stuff! I will probably add a chapter or two onto my other stories occasionally, but this will be the one I focus on! Yay!**

**NOTICE. THIS IS A SEQUEL TO TIME AND TIME AGAIN. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THEN PAY ATTENTION HERE. Basically, what happens in my first fanfiction is that Seth gets called upon by the Singing Sisters to complete a quest and retrieve the hides of seven of the world's eternal guardians. Having no idea who that is, he receives some friendly help in his head advising him to pick up a strange purple gem. A guide, half-astrid, half-human, by the name of Zia takes them to Caelum Amplexu, a preserve run solely by wolves. Giant wolves, to be precise. Turns out that a long time ago, those giant wolves were the kings and queens of the world. Good queens and good kings. The best of creatures, created for preserving balance in the world. Then they lost their soul, which is unbeknownst to Seth, the purple gem he'd picked up. The Soul Bearer, Cadeliah, sheltered them despite her knowledge of Seth's stolen stone. Learning both that the hides of wolves are the hides he must retrieve and that the soul is Cadeliah's, Seth returns the Soul Stone to its rightful owner and becomes a god to the Great Wolves. If you want to know more, go read it. It's not my best, because my writing improves with everything I do, but it's worth the read. **

**Phew!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Hey, Kendra," hums Bracken, hanging in the arch of the kitchen. The tip of his head brushes the needles of the pine wreath hanging. His silvery blue eyes seem to sparkle and shimmer at the sight of her, making Kendra's heart fuzzy. Bracken must have a snazzy fashion sense, because his clothing accents his athletic build and bulging muscles. Choppy silver hair hangs in his face, cut since his days in Zzyxx. Smile quirking at his lips, Kendra has to admit, he looks like a playful unicorn. Bracken cocks his head, eyes shining innocently. "What you doing?"

"Eating breakfast," she answers around a mouthful of Pop Tart. It sounds more like, "Pehpeh pehfesh" to her ears, but Bracken must've understood.

"Noooooo," gasps Bracken in shock. Kendra seriously considers throwing the cardboard box at him. Ever since on her eighteenth birthday, they'd become an official couple, he'd been becoming less and less like an unattainable guy and more like her annoying boyfriend. The infatuation hasn't worn off; he's just becoming more and more open with her, and she is with him in return. And Kendra loves it. She doesn't regret the day she gave up mortality in the slightest.

With difficulty, Kendra swallows the dry substance and glugs her glass of milk. She can feel the milk mustache on her upper lip as she slams the mug back to the table, and see the smile on Bracken's face grow. "I haven't seen you in two weeks, Bracken! How are things? How long are you staying?"

Bracken very unsubtly avoids her question by picking up her Pop Tart and sniffing at it disdainfully, leaning on the table beside Kendra. "Give that back," she complains half-heartedly. He frowns deeper and takes the slightest of nibbles at the corner.

Kendra watches in amusement as the unicorn immediately proceeds to gagging, one hand flying to his throat. She's not entirely sure he's faking. It doesn't sound like it. "My god," he groans melodramatically. He glares at her in disgust. "How do you eat that?"

Kendra jumps forward to pluck her breakfast from his hand, but he jerks just out of reach. "I like it," she pouts.

"Artificial flavors, factory-made grain, revolting chemicals!" he moans. "Oh, you poor human beings! What has the world come to? Why is it that my Kendra is eating something so gross?"

"Braccckkkken," Kendra growls, holding out her hand in an order.

"Kennddrrrrrrrra," Bracken growls back, copying her tone and wiggling the Pop Tart infuriatingly out of reach.

"Braccckkkken."

"Kennddrrrrrrrra."

"Bracken."

"Kendra."

"Bracken."

"Kendra."

"Brac-_ken_."

"Ken-_dra_."

"Bracken," whispers Kendra, a tug of emotion suddenly rushing up from somewhere deep inside, resolve melting.

In his eyes, Bracken seems to melt to. He reaches his arms out in a gesture of embrace, the Pop Tart forgotten. "Kendra." The word sounds like a prayer.

Kendra jumps from the seat and snuggles up against him. His arms close around her, trapping Kendra against his firm muscles. Laying her head on the unicorn's chest, she hears the resounding drumming of his heart. She sighs, linking her arms around his broad neck, closing her eyes to better enjoy the moment. Bracken's melodic heart, Bracken's constant breathing, Bracken's protecting arms, Bracken's tingling warmth.

He brushes a strand of hair from her face, leaving a trail of fire. Kendra blushes with pleasure as Bracken takes two fingers and puts them underneath her chin to gently tip her head up until she's staring into his beautiful eyes.

"You're going to be my queen," he whispers quietly, "you know that?"

Kendra's heart skips a beat as Bracken continues.

"I have no desire of being King," he murmurs to Kendra and Kendra only. "It's actually quite a dull job. But as King" – his eyes shine like stars– "I could give you anything. I could have everything you've ever dreamed of. I could show the entire world your beauty and your grace, and brag about you in every party I attend. You'd finally have everything in the world as you should."

"Bracken," Kendra whispers, placing a hand on his cheek, "you don't need to do that. I'm perfectly happy with what I have now."

He leans in closer. "But you could be even happier." He cuts off Kendra's reply with a sensual kiss. Her heart hammers uncontrollably when they break apart.

"You're so ridiculous," Kendra gasps. "And sappy. My sappy unicorn."

He touches his finger to the end of her nose, smiling with unuttered laughter. "And _you_ taste like _Pop Tarts_."

* * *

Seth studies Chaos warily as they circle one another. The giant wolf lowers his head and bares his teeth in a silent snarl, keeping his head low to the ground. His dark prowl screams dangerous, and Seth's logical mind is almost overruled by his irrational instincts to run.

It's not like Chaos's appearance is making Seth keeping his head any easier. The wolf is black and white, striped like a zebra. Along his haunches, the stripes sometimes curl into shapes like stars and moons. His guard hairs are long even by wolf standards, and his sleek pelt reveals the bulge of his elegant muscles. Chaos looks like a proud wolf god of darkness, or the Big Bad Wolf Little Red Riding Hood met on her walk. His deep and violent purple eyes are surrounded by dark shadows of black, and someone had carved "DEVIL" into his side, leaving silver scars lacking a fur covering.

"Make your move," the wolf growls balefully, deep voice undulating up and down the scale. Unlike the voices of many wolves, which sound more like they're singing than speaking, Chaos's voice is deep and booming and not very musical. Frequently, Seth wonders if his mentor can even howl with the same majesty as the rest of his kindred.

"Hurry, boy," snarls Chaos impatiently. That's all he ever calls Seth; "boy" or, occasionally, "imprudent brat". Readjusting his hold on the sword, Seth launches himself forward and at the wolf's evidently undefended left side.

It isn't undefended.

They clash together, claw against sword, with a screech that puts Seth's teeth on edge. Chaos's purple eyes are directly in front of his own, and gleaming with such fury that Seth has to fight the urge to tremble. The wolf snarls and pushes Seth back, and the real battle begins.

Each movement is a head-rush, each swing a blink of an eye, each dodge a breath, and each parry a sigh. It isn't so much a fight as it is a dance alongside death. Chaos's skill easily one-ups his own, but Seth wants to see how far he can push the old wolf, how close he can get to victory.

Sweat trickling down his brow, Seth aims a strike at Chaos's hind legs. The wolf dances nimbly out of the way, responding with a lunge at Seth's face. He ducks in the nick of time, knowing full well that, if Seth hadn't been able to get out of the way fast enough, Chaos would've torn half his face off.

Upon seeing his attack at Seth's face had failed, Chaos bunches his muscles and aims a quick strike at Seth's vulnerable gut before Seth can even react. Seth gasps for air as Chaos knocks it out of his lungs, toppling backwards with a plop onto the cold, cold ground.

"Better," approves Chaos gruffly. Despite the tugging ache in Seth's stomach, pride floods him. He hadn't gotten such a compliment from Chaos in… at least three weeks.

"Try to do it again," the wolf orders. His lips peel back over his ivory fangs. "Now."

With a huff, Seth staggers back to his feet. Swaying unsteadily, he spits a glob of blood from his mouth and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. Glaring discontentedly at Chaos, Seth groans, "What will this Dark Pulse even help me with?"

Chaos shrugs. "Nothing foreseeable. Then again, the things you and I go after can hardly be considered 'foreseeable'. Ready position, now."

The Dark Pulse, as Chaos had titled it, is just a burst of dark energy to repel any other shadow creatures. It's extremely difficult, and involves techniques that Seth thinks are out of his range. If at all possible, he doesn't want to try and complete it. That's… that's like being quizzed on what was the first Roman emperor or whatever. It's never going to be useful in real life, especially if real life is fighting monsters.

"And what if I refuse?" questions Seth loftily, twiddling the adamant sword between his thumb and index finger.

Chaos's eyes narrow, and Seth sees the blow coming a few seconds to late. Knocked to his feet by the swipe, Seth gets slaughtered by a powerful smack upside the head with Chaos's broad paws. The dirt underneath him is cold and solid, a nice differential to the wet blood pumping from his head.

"My god, Chaos!" yelps a new voice, and Bracken is by Seth's side in a second, helping him up. The unicorn's eyes blaze, and he rounds on the wolf. "That was uncalled for!"

Chaos sits, tail curling around his paws. Like that, he looks like a dark king. Well, he is a dark king; the damn King of Shadows. But, normally, Chaos looks more like a sketchy nomad than a ruler. "It is how we train," he growls threateningly. "Force is only overpowered by force. It is the only way he must learn to live."

"That's for shadow charmers who live in packs!" snaps Bracken feistily. Seth glances at the Fairy Prince, deciding that Kendra's fire must be wearing off on him. "They social and prank around and basically make up for any hostility they show one another in training! Seth has no affection from you whatsoever! Train him like that, and he'll become a monster!"

Chaos growls, and every hair on his ruff rises. "He'll be treated like a monster anywhere he goes. It's our curse. He may as well be the formidable monster."

"Do I get any say in this?" sighs Seth wearily. Both Bracken and Chaos turn to look at him, but only Bracken looks surprised. Chaos yawns. "I won't quit training in the way Chaos wants me to, because I've excelled more than I ever have before, but I'm finished for today. Does that make you two happy?"

"Gloriously so," purrs a new voice. A golden wolf stalks from the garden, lilac eyes flashing with humor, hairs glinting in the setting sun. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I'd like some pasta, and Bracken makes the best pasta in this half of the USA. You're like the Italian grandma I wish I had." The wolf nods respectfully to Bracken.

Boro, the Wolf King.

If Chaos had looked majestic, then this wolf looks otherworldly. He's the wolf equivalent of a supermodel, the way his fur falls and the broad design of his features. The way he walks, the way he holds his head; Boro knows he's someone of rank, and he makes sure you know it, too. Mostly, the wolf's a good guy with an appreciation for humor, but he gets almost territorial over his girlfriend, Fiona the Soul Bearer. Fiona, of course, promptly smacks him across the muzzle when he gets overprotective in any way.

Chaos groans gutturally. "Well, I'm out. See you tomorrow. Leave out some of that pasta, Bracken, in a doggy dish on the porch. I'll get it later." He stands, and his cloak flutters on a wind, landing on his back to hide his horrific scars. Throwing up the cowl to hide his face, Chaos stalks off, silent as a shadow.

"Strange one, that," remarks Boro, watching his uncle saunter off. "I still don't know why he let my father have the throne."

Seth shrugs. "Maybe he didn't want it. Maybe he made a mistake."

Bracken's eyes follow the wolf as Chaos stalks off, not even glancing back. "Maybe," he whispers to himself. "Or maybe not."

* * *

Kendra watches as the depressing scenes roll across the TV, halfway tempted to just turn it off. The world is exploding with cult theories. Fiona, deciding to move ahead of her mother's schedule, is slowly stripping away the walls of disbelief. That's leaving mortals going crazy, more reports of dragons rolling in every day.

Some people are starting anti-government groups, saying that there's been a world this entire time. Which, of course, there has, but not by the government. Riots are exploding everywhere, and the rising number of "natural disasters" is making many uneasy. In every footage shown on the news, Kendra can pick out at least one Great Wolf, standing majestically in the background. They're curbing the human race, alright; almost all of Russia has been eliminated.

It makes Fiona so sad. The wolf will come and curl up beside Kendra's bed while she sleeps, and sometimes, she'll awaken to the young Soul Bearer. She cries, allowing only Kendra to know the truth, allowing only Kendra to hold her and wipe away her tears. She sings to herself, eyes always a million miles away. It makes Kendra sad, but she's not really sure how to help. In a murmured conversation in Kendra's library, she and Bracken had discussed the matter, and he'd advised her just to be patient and forgiving. Whenever Fiona and Kendra aren't alone, the wolf is as tough as nails, if not tougher.

She sits beside Kendra now, curled up around the sofa, watching the TV in grim silence. "This is what must be," she announces tonelessly eventually. "Everything in me, it's saying that I'm doing what's right. But it still feels wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have let myself knit so tightly to humanity."

Kendra sets down the remote and wraps her arms around Fiona's thick neck, the warm Soul Stone strapped underneath Fiona's chin just brushing her arm. "I'm glad you did."

Fiona sighs, leaning back into Kendra's embrace. "I haven't heard from Brach and the twins in a while," she murmurs, changing the subject. "I did hear, however, that Brach learned how to Wink."

"I'm _pretty_ sure Brach could wink before," grunts Kendra in confusion.

"Wink with a capital W." Fiona chuckles. "It means that he's learned how to teleport. He basically turns his molecules into particles of light, and then moves at the speed of light to a random location. However, according to River-Song, it's incredibly unreliable without the proper training. Once, she accidently transported herself to Zzyxx." Fiona's chuckle turns into a laugh. "Now, that's a story!"

"I bet it is!" laughs Kendra, picturing the gruff Fairy Wolf snapping at some demons, carving a path through the devilish horde. They'd run in fear from that taunting voice. Kendra certainly would; and not just because River-Song has a taste for fairykind flesh.

"I'll wait for her to tell it," guffaws Fiona. "She'll have you feeling like it's happening at the moment, on the edge of your seat. I swear, if it hadn't been for those wings, she'd have been a master storyteller. One of the best. Even Cadeliah was impressed."

The mention of Cadeliah still puts a lump in Kendra's throat, but, with time, it's been healing. She refuses to let herself get over Cadeliah by ignoring that she ever existed, by forgetting her. That'd been the wolf's last words. Never forget me. She said she never would. And Kendra sticks by that. So does Fiona.

"I wonder…" Kendra trails off, feeling stupid. Fiona goads her on with a prod in the stomach. "I wonder if she's here, right now. Cadeliah, I mean. Chaos said something once about seeing ghosts, right? She could be right here, right now. Actually, I bet she is."

Fiona frowns, but nods slowly. "Maybe… maybe she's not on our level of dimension. Like how light has a different spectrum that we can't see. Maybe she exists on that spectrum. Wouldn't that be cool? I think that would be so cool."

"It would be," agrees Kendra. At that exact moment, Bracken bustles in, looking seriously ticked. Kendra shoots to her feet, feeling protective of the big guy. Glancing apologetically at Fiona, who nods in understanding, Kendra grips the front of his shirt and tugs Bracken out of the room and into the hallway.

"What is it?" she whispers, once they're alone, unable to stop her hand from laying itself on Bracken's chest. He places his own hand overtop it before answering.

"Chaos is ticking me off," he murmurs, silvery blue eyes flashing with annoyance. "He and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye."

Kendra shrugs, comprehending. "He's a King of Shadows. You're a Fairy Prince. You're going to disagree. It's meant to happen."

"I know, it's just…" Absentmindedly, he sweeps hair from her face. "I wish we didn't argue all the time. He's, quite honestly, an interesting wolf with an intriguing backstory. But he puts up calloused barriers and builds fortifications around himself, not letting himself care out of fear of being hurt. He walks the lonely path. I don't." His hand gently squeezes hers.

"Try to be patient with him," advises Kendra. "Plus, go out of your way to do nice things to him. He likes your pasta a lot." Kendra sniggers. "A _lot_."

"No kidding," chuckles Bracken. He studies her carefully. "You're doing alright, yes?"

"Yes," answers Kendra, surprised by the random question. She blinks. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," he hurries in a voice that only confirms Kendra's suspicions. "We've just received some sketchy reports from here in the human world. Normally, I wouldn't look twice at those, but…" He shrugs, cupping her cheek with his other hand. Bracken gazes down at her tenderly. "I guess things changed."

Kendra grins up at him. "Things have changed for me, too. You'll tell me if something is wrong, right?"

He beams down at her. "Right."

* * *

Seth frowns at the massive dog bowl, and checks his digital watch. In blocky numbers, it reads 12:33. He frowns deeper, scanning over the green fields, looking for a familiar wolf but finding none. In front of him, the December night air turns his breath into mist that rises in churning cascades.

The dog bowl. It's full. Chaos never misses a meal. Not once. Not ever.

He leans down and sticks a finger in the rich red sauce, and his frown grows. Cold. So, it's been here for a while. Chaos hasn't come.

Worry builds in Seth as he gazes out at the moonlit field. "Oh, Chaos," he breathes, fretting over his spiteful mentor. "What have you gotten yourself into now?"

* * *

Chaos wades through the darkened bushes, pushing the foliage out of his path. He snarls at a thorn that pierces his paw, shaking it out and continuing until the bushes thin and there's a clear trail.

Chaos's guard hairs stand on end, and a growl starts in the pit of his stomach. That smell. It drifts through his nostrils. He knows that smell. Chaos recognizes it a moment too late.

_Whhhhhhhhhthunk_! The sound of a small object hurtling through the air. A small dart buries itself into Chaos's neck, biting like a bee. He snarls in surprised fury, feeling the effects of the poison already. Horror mounts on him as he realizes that the small dart must've been loaded with toxins for it to work this quickly. Feet almost dragging across the leafy floor, Chaos stumbles a few steps. His back legs cave in, and he drags himself desperately a few more paces. Terror fills Chaos as those two legs give in as well.

It's a struggle to keep his eyes open, to fight off the oncoming blackness of the artificial sleep. Chaos snarls weakly, throat closing up. The last thing he sees is a face looming overhead with a cruel fanged smile, golden eyes flickering in the low light.

And then the world goes black.

* * *

"Not so tough now," he whispers to the house in the distance with the yellow lights shining, "without your pet, are you, Sorenson?"

* * *

**Chaos, my god. You little crap. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and so on. I had so much fun writing this one, especially the Brackendra! Please, review and stuff, because I love reviews! Constructive criticism is appreciated! **

**POLL: who do you think the antagonist is? What do you think he's trying to do? In other words, what do you think is going to happen with this dude?**


	3. Chapter 2

**I'm back! Thanks for the reviews, O loyal followers! They are much appreciated! **

**Now, here's the big question: what's happened to Chaos? This is the super tough wolf, the one that is not only King of demons, but of anything that happens to be of dark descent. Who on earth would provoke with such a beast? And what's up with this weirdo creeping around the Sorenson mansion? **

**STILL LOOKING FOR A COVER PIC!**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"I'll be heading off as soon as you leave," calls a voice from behind Kendra. Spooked, she jumps and whirls around, nearly dropping her hefty binder. Bracken jumps back to avoid getting smacked in the face by her braid. "Whoa, there!"

"Sorry!" apologizes Kendra hurriedly, blushing madly. He holds up his hands.

"You're fine." Bracken smiles bashfully, so adorable it makes her heart squeeze. He's wearing a white flannel shirt, with a few buttons undone and the cuffs rolled up to his elbows. The light from the kitchen window halos his head. "I guess I shouldn't have snuck up on you. My bad. Anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye before you bustle off. Are you and Seth still sharing a car?"

Kendra nods remorsefully, scowling at the memory of the dank vehicle. "I'll probably be able to buy one for me soon," she speculates. "Hopefully, it won't smell like dirty socks." She wrinkles her nose, recalling the putrid car's stench.

"Ah." Bracken smiles crookedly, his silvery blue eyes shining. "If you ever need a few grand, your boyfriend is the Prince of his own realm…" He cocks his head suggestively, and Kendra's heart beats a bit faster when she realizes he isn't kidding.

Kendra rolls her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind." Leaning forward on the balls of her feet, she gives Bracken a quick peck on the jaw. Blinking with pleasure, he smiles somewhat dopily when she pulls back. Kendra smiles back at his expression, but something else dawns on her. The smile shifts into a frown. "Hey, Bracken, I was wondering… are you planning on taking me to Snow Ball, our winter formal?"

He cocks his head, eyes uncomprehending. Kendra rushes forward, cheeks turning scarlet. "I mean, it's prime-time find-a-date season coming up. It'd look weird if I told any dudes that I had a date and then showed up without one…"

"I see." Bracken's voice is uncharacteristically cold, and Kendra steals a quick glance at his abruptly impassive face. He crosses his arms, eyes glinting with aggressive ice. "And have any of these guys asked you out yet?"

"No," answers Kendra a bit too quickly. She winces as Bracken's eyebrows rise. His scowl deepens

"Who?" he questions softly, tone vibrating with hidden ire.

Kendra's cheeks burn with shame, though she isn't sure why. "Matthew Green. Don't worry. Not interested."

"Ah." Bracken nods agreeably, but Kendra has the feeling he's unconvinced. "I bet he's handsome. And I bet he's buff." Kendra could be mistaken, but in morbid disbelief, she recognizes an undercurrent of jealousy in Bracken's voice.

Kendra laughs in awed surprise, comprehending his odd mood swing with a jolt of warm emotions. Tenderly, she places a hand on Bracken's chest, right over his resounding heartbeat. Her hand catches the vibrations of his heart beautifully. "Bracken, there's no way I would say yes to a dude." He looks down at her curiously, as if he wants her words to be true. "Not if they were buffer than you or handsomer than you, which I personally believe is impossible. I just need to form a strategy. I could get "sick". And then you'd stay home with me. Something along those lines."

Bracken's arms wrap around Kendra, closing tighter with every second. His breath swirls through her hair, smelling like spring. "You told your friends about me?"

"Of course." Kendra prods him in the firm ribs. "When you've got that many abs, Bracken, you couldn't have expected anything else. I showed them a pic of you sleeping on my phone. They're all so jealous, it's not even funny." She laughs with joy, remembering the heated conversation.

"You have a picture of me sleeping on your phone?" Bracken brushes her earthy brown hair from her face. "You're even more infatuated than I was led to believe."

Kendra jabs him again. "You fell asleep one day helping me with my homework. It was cute. I snapped a picture. I didn't show them the one of you drooling, never fear."

"You caught me drooling?" laughs Bracken. "See if I ever drift off around you again."

"That goes two ways, Unicorn," counters Kendra, smiling up at him. She desperately wants to set down the binder being squished between their passionate bodies, but doesn't want to ruin the moment. He muses over this.

"Hmm," he hums. "Well, you're cute when you sleep, too. You aren't scowling, for starters." To this, Kendra immediately scowls. Bracken places a finger beneath her chin, smirking in amusement. "See, there's that snarl. But I don't take pictures of it."

Kendra can't even muster the strength to be mad. Her insides feel like mush underneath Bracken's tender gaze. Tone drenched in adoration, Kendra whispers, "You might if you had a phone."

Bracken's eyes get impossibly softer, and he wraps himself around Kendra in a loving hug. Not a lustful sort of thing, nor a desperate embrace; just a sort of "You're here, so I'm okay" kid of hug. One arm holding the binder, Kendra does her best to hug him back. His breath swirls down her neck, and against her skin she feels Bracken smile.

"Just so you know," breathes Bracken, voice infinitely soft as he whispers into her ear, "I was planning on inviting you to a sort of Fairy Prom that weekend. Unless you'd rather go to this high school prom. I'll do anything you want."

Kendra pulls back in surprise. "There's a unicorn prom on the same week as my prom?"

Bracken shrugs. "The universe works in strange ways."

Kendra laughs. "That's for sure," she agrees. Awkwardly, she slings the backpack over her shoulder. "Sorry," Kendra apologizes. "I've got to go. Seth will get bored if I wait much longer. He'll come and try and find me. I don't want to explain that the only reason I'm late is that I was cuddling…"

Bracken's smile is so sexy, Kendra's chest aches. "Of course," he murmurs, stepping back. "I'll always be here if you need more 'cuddling'."

Kendra smiles warmly at him. "I know."

* * *

Kendra slides her tray down next to her friends'. The cafeteria food sits unappetizingly on her plate. As Kendra stares at it for a few seconds, she swears her burger moves. Beside her, Alyssa frowns. "Yikes. Did you see that?"

"Yup," sighs Kendra, nudging the plate a little further from herself. "I got caught up saying bye to my boyfriend and forgot to pick up my lunch this morning. I think I'm just going to go hungry."

"This elusive boyfriend again!" Brittany groans, glaring at Kendra. "Why can't we ever see him? Or is that just a sexy pic you found online somewhere?"

"He's… busy, a lot of the time," sighs Kendra.

_Am I?_ Bracken's voice is clear as a bell in her head, eavesdropping through his first horn he'd given her. As subtly as possible, she slaps the pearly bracelet. "He travels," Kendra continues. "He stops by whenever he can. Doesn't stay for very long, most of the time."

_Lies,_ hisses Bracken's voice in her mind.

"I'd be careful, if I were you," advises Trina dubiously. "A guy that gorgeous is bound to have secrets. He might be sleeping with other women since you're so anti-sex, and just hang around you for kicks."

_I don't like this one._ Kendra subtly slaps the bracelet again.

"What's up with your jewelry?" questions Brittany, noticing her odd behavior. "Is it bugging you?"

"Nah," lies Kendra, because in a messed up way, the bracelet _is_ bugging her. "Listen, you guys, you don't know Bracken like I do. He's nice and sweet and funny and protective. He's not… no. Just… no. He's too pure for any of that."

"Pure?" questions Alyssa doubtfully.

"Yes. Pure." Kendra sighs. "You'd understand if you met him. He's a nice guy."

"And, sexy, too," adds Brittany.

_Now this one, this one I like._

"Keep an eye on him," grunts Trina, taking a bite of her Nutella sandwich and giving Kendra a look. "It's impossible for a guy to be that good-looking and that perfect."

Kendra smiles, ignoring Bracken's indignant emotions. "I suppose you could say he's my Prince Charming," she laughs, entertained by her own inside jokes. "Bracken's perfect for me. I think he's ruined it for anybody else. He's funny and cute and so terribly smitten it's hilarious. Then again, I'm just as smitten. I'm just better at hiding it." Kendra beams. She holds out her arm. "He got me this bracelet, you know. It's practically priceless, this thingy. One of a kind. It cost him a lot to give it to me."

Which is all true, of course. Warmth spreads through her body from the bracelet, and for a creepy second, another heartbeat pounds in her veins in accordance with her own. Peering curiously at the gold and pearl trinket, Kendra is rained with compliments.

Suddenly, Alyss groans. "Don't look now, here comes Ken doll."

Matthew Green saunters over. Kendra's eyes meet his. In all honesty, the guy is pretty handsome. However, he's boyishly cute, nothing compared to Bracken's ruggedly sexy look. Like, Matthew's One Direction, and Bracken's an action hero in a zombie apocalypse movie. Easy winner. His chestnut hair is swept from his eyes, carefully gelled into position. The football shoulder pads broaden his figure and add nonexistent muscles to his build. Before Bracken, Kendra might've been impressed. No longer is this guy going to do anything but amuse her.

"Hey, babe," he chuckles, two athletic idiots on either shoulder. "You decided whether or not you'll be coming with me to prom yet?"

Kendra rolls her eyes. "I already told you, no. _No_. My god…"

"Aw, c'mon," whines Matthew, azure eyes flashing. He gestures towards the swooning Brittany. "You know how many girls would kill to be in your place?"

"You know how many girls would gladly kill you?" counters Kendra. She shakes her head firmly. "No, no thanks. I don't socialize with idiots; I make an exception for my boyfriend, of course, but otherwise…"

_Ouch._ Bracken's voice is hurt.

"You have a boyfriend?" Matthew stares at her curiously.

Kendra snorts, glaring at him. "Why do you find that so unbelievable? Quite the charmer, I see. Go back to the hole you crawled from, Matthew."

Matthew ignores her, still caught on the boyfriend issue. He cracks his knuckles in a dramatic way that has Brittany practically hyperventilating. "Any way I could meet this boyfriend of yours?" he asks casually, menace in his eyes very much amusing to Kendra.

Alyssa comes to Kendra's rescue. She laughs, as if he's just made a hilarious joke. Matthew frowns at her in confusion. "Kendra's boyfriend could beat you up like a pulp," explains Alyssa. "He's got muscles like you see on sportswear commercials, and the good looks of a Calvin Klein model. Best run while you can."

_Agreed whole-heartedly!_ Kendra resists the urge to roll her eyes, settling for a sinister glare at Matthew.

"Get out of here," she snarls, "before I make you."

Blushing beet red, Matthew stumbles back and saunters over to the preppy kid table. He slides next to a cute blonde and immerses in lively conversation, making vague gestures towards Kendra's table. Kendra rolls her eyes and focuses back on the conversation.

"I cannot believe you mouthed off Matthew Green," gasps Brittany. "Nobody mouths off Matthew Green. You're – you're going to find cockroaches in your locker!"

_If that happens, I will beat him into a pulp._

"Not like you would've lifted a finger," laughs Trina. "I saw you batting your eyes at him. You're out of his league, Brittany. Aim higher. A boyfriend should at least have brain cells, no matter how few." Brittany blushes with pleasure at the "out of his league" comment.

"You think so?" Brittany studies him critically.

Kendra nods firmly. "I know so."

_My god, Kendra, I love you._

* * *

The Fairy King snaps his fingers right in front of Bracken's face. Flinching and blinking, Bracken refocuses on the present. His father's face isn't that annoyed; in fact, the Fairy King seems amused by the fact that Bracken's not paying the slightest bit attention to the meeting. "Did you get a word of that?" he laughs, silver eyes twinkling with their signature mirth.

"Uh… no," apologizes Bracken sheepishly. "Sorry, what's going on?"

"Your mother just entitled you to supply the fairies on the east corner with a fresh supply of power. I'd help them out a bit with the Fertility Tree. It's always difficult. Afterwards, well" – Bracken's father claps him on the shoulder with a hand that grows stronger every day – "I'd go practice. Keep those muscles firm and strong, like your princess like 'em. Oh, and keep your mind off your princess for a while, alright?"

"Aim high, but not for the impossible," groans Ikia dryly.

The Fairy King's eyes sparkle even brighter. "Oh, how I love soap operas! Something tells me that this is about to get interesting, very interesting…. And not just because a creepy fortune-telling wolf told me…"

* * *

"Chaos is gone?" demands Fiona, narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean, 'gone'? Did someone let him off his safety harness?"

"No," says Crimson simply. His human face cocks, and his green eyes spark with impatience. "We've been over this before. He was supposed to meet with us last night at Heron's birthday party. If there's one thing in this world that I'm sure of, it's that Chaos loves Heron. When he didn't show up, we searched for him. We couldn't find Chaos. So we're coming to you."

"He's the King of Shadows," points out Fiona in exasperation. "Of course he's going to be a bit difficult to locate! 'Difficult' is Chaos's middle name!"

Crimson's eyes burn. "We are the Brotherhood of the Black Moon, Chaos's personal armada. We are his private army, his only company, and the only ones who ever see him as he truly is: a mischievous soul with a taste for trouble. He would bend the heavens for us, and we would bend the heavens for him. I know every trick Chaos has in his book. Chaos isn't being difficult; he's missing."

Fiona glares at the man incredulously. He's almost seven feet tall, an abnormal feat for humans. Draped in a black cloak almost identical to that of Chaos's, most of his features are hidden. However, with the hood down, Fiona can easily see his reddish skin that'd probably earned him his name. He has a proud, wide-set facial structure. Proud; under no circumstances handsome, but proud, yes. Ringlets of inky black hair curls around his face like a dark halo. His thick neck indicates body-builder type muscles.

"Nobody," she snaps, "_nobody_ knows every trick in Chaos's book. I don't think his own son would know. That wolf is just drowned in mystery, and you might as well accept it, Crimson."

Crimson growls. His green eyes glower at her. "I am the Captain of the Brotherhood of the Black Moon. It is my duty to ensure my leader's safety. I will not rest until I clap eyes upon Chaos, safe and sound. I won't leave you alone until you help me."

Fiona lets out a controlled breath. "Look, why don't we talk about this?" she offers indifferently. "How about you relax a bit, and I'll send out patrols looking for him? I mean, Chaos is a grown wolf. He can fare for himself without you watching over his shoulder. But I'll keep an eye out, alright?"

Crimson glares at Fiona. "You are not half the wolf your mother was."

Fiona's breath catches at the barbed insult, and involuntary tears flood her eyes. Cadeliah; the best wolf who ever lived, and the best Mum Fiona could ever ask for. All Fiona wants is to be like Cadeliah. All Fiona wants is to make her mother proud. When wolves say things like that… it's like someone yanks the world out from under her. Beside her, Boro growls menacingly.

"Listen here, you little –" Boro snarls, rocketing away into a string of profanities. Fiona silences him with a killer glare. She storms up to Crimson, looking down at the tall boy and squaring her shoulders.

"I am not the wolf my mother was, true," she hisses. "I am not perfect. I do not know the perfect solution. I'm not superbly smart. I can't take down a major demon in three seconds flat. But don't ever – _ever_ – let that make you believe that I'm any less important than her." Fiona bares her teeth. "My mother had mercy. My mother would forgive insults. And, hon, I'm not her."

Crimson glares back at her. "Then maybe that's why the Wolfen race is going to fall." And with that, he dissolves into dust.

* * *

"Look at that," remarks Tanu impassively. Vanessa leans her head in to see the Samoan collapsed on the TV, watching one of the numerous grim television reports. "It's… that's awful."

On the screen, Vanessa sees another one of the cults. Except… oh, god. They're protesting against all magical creatures. Her eyes pop.

"This frightening new cult isn't focused on worshipping the strange whimsical creatures visible to some," blabs the preppy reporter lady, "they're apparently plotting for their destruction. Members of this cult claim that the reason the world has gone so crazy recently isn't because the creatures need to be worshipped, but that they need to be exterminated. They say that these magical creatures are stemming the flow of human creativity and reigning in nature's natural course. Will their mad ways lead them to murdering civilians? Or will it be the strange creatures in the sky that get the short end of the stick?"

"That is extremely bad news for you, Vanessa," comments Warren, sticking his handsome face in the door. His eyes shine with fear for her safety. "If they can see through the veil, then they'll try to come after you. They'll try to hunt you down."

Vanessa shrugs, swallowing her own worry. "Come what may."

* * *

"Seth?" Kendra studies her brother's pale face. "You – you're not looking so good."

He looks at her, and, quite honestly, Seth looks very ill. He'd looked fine this morning: fit as a fiddle, as well as between classes. But now, his face is covered in a sheen of sweat, and his skin had turned a sickly pale color. His hands tremble slightly. "I'm fine," he croaks, shoving off her attempts to help him. "Don't worry about me. Jeesh."

Fear alights in Kendra's chest. Normally, she drives to school in the morning and he drives on the way back. But… "How about I take the keys this afternoon?" Kendra holds out a hand. After a moment of hesitation, Seth tosses her them in a tinkling arch.

Catching them semi-flawlessly, Kendra sticks the key in the lock and opens the car. Seth slides in on the passenger seat, slumping down like a sick dog. Before Kendra can stop herself, Kendra leans over and places a hand on Seth's forehead.

Her eyes widen. She jerks her hand back. "My god, Seth," Kendra whispers in horror, "you're burning up."

"Better step on it," he advises, choking out each word. Erratic fear takes hold of Kendra, and she smashes her foot down on the gas, speeding out of the parking lot like a madwoman. Seth is sent sprawling, hands shaking as he struggles with the seatbelt. The bruises underneath his eyes seem to get darker.

_Bracken!_ screams Kendra mentally, calling on the expert in medical training. _Bracken? Bracken! Bracken, I need you!_

With terror, Kendra waits for a reply, and gets none. Horror numbs her body, and her foot slams against the pedal with renewed fear. Bracken had always answered her before with silly, stupid things; so why isn't he now, when it's important.

"How do you feel?" calls Kendra over the obnoxious gunning of the engine. Seth opens his eyes to slits, and then closes them again. Her heart hammers, realizing how slow his breathing had gotten. Panic seizes her. My god. How had he even gotten sick? It's not like he's been exposed to anything!

"I feel… like crap," groans Seth. Limply, Kendra's brother then loses consciousness. He sprawls uncoordinatedly across the seat, eyes rolled up into his head. Kendra almost has a heart attack herself, revving up the motor to its top speed.

_Oh, Bracken, where are you?_

* * *

**And now we've got something new. Something special. It's called a cliffhanger. I like cliffhangers. I assure you, this will not be the last one you see. I use cliffhangers a lot, to keep not only you but myself interested in the story I'm writing. **

**So. No news from Chaos yet. I'm getting to that. **

**POLL: What do you guys think is up with this sudden disease? And how will Bracken's absence from Kendra's mind affect Seth's recovery?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	4. Chapter 3

**Okay! Here we are!**

**So, one of you guys expressed interest in reading a novel if I ever wrote one. Well, guys, the only reason I write fanfictions is to improve my technique. So, as I spit these out, I'm also going back and editing 441 pages of awesomeness. Can I get a hurrah?**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Chaos swallows a snarl, standing silent at the figure writhing in the mirror. Little Wolf's round, mischievous face is contorted by agony as his skin coats itself in sticky sweat. Even though there's no sound from the image in the mirror, Chaos's ears ring with the guttural moans calling from Seth's gaping mouth as he shivers on the seat. In the background, he can see the sister speeding away desperately.

"Your precious warrior is struggling for life, dying of disease," purrs a voice from the darkness, eyes glinting like golden coins. "You are stuck here while I poison him. He will shrivel. He will die. He will burn. And all because you refused to cooperate. Have you anything to say?"

"Yeah." Chaos turns to the voice, eyes blazing. "Snow White's grandma called. She wants her magic mirror back."

"Is that all before we continue?" questions the voice icily.

Chaos swallows, unwilling to bear more torture. "Actually, no." He snarls. "Never, _ever_ doubt the ability of a whiny fairykind with a unicorn boyfriend."

* * *

"How did this happen?" demands Tanu as he lowers Seth onto the couch. Vanessa appears in the doorway, the Samoan's medicine pouch in one hand. She tosses it to him, which he catches excellently.

Kendra wipes the sweat from her brow, struggling to swallow as Seth shakes with another bout of tremors. Biting her lip to avoid crying, she cries, "I have no idea! He was fine this morning! And now…" Kendra trails off, curling her hands into fists.

"Right." Tanu's hands flurry over Seth's body. "Any news from Bracken?"

That's it. A sob rips through Kendra, and she whispers, "No." Stroking the bracelet, she can't even find a constant hum of his mind. It's like he's gone. Or ignoring her.

Warren wraps an arm around her shoulders reassuringly, and Kendra leans against her cousin's solid strength. She shuts her eyes, not sobbing again but unable to contain the tears flowing down her cheeks.

Where is Bracken? He'd said he'd always be here. And she'd always copied him in her answer. The unicorn had been there to hold her as she woke from nightmares. He'd cradled her in his arms on the day Cadeliah died. He'd helped her and reassured her in every way possible. But now, when Kendra really needs Bracken for something other than cuddling, he's missing.

After much clicking of glass bottles and murmuring among themselves, Tanu finally speaks. "I'm stumped," he intones in puzzlement, rolling back on his heels. Through eyes blurred with tears, Kendra blinks. "I'm giving him some potion to numb the pain and take down the fever, but I don't have a clue what this is coming from." Tanu shakes his head in regret. "All I can guess is that somehow, he picked it up at school. It doesn't make sense to me, but I'm hoping we'll be able to clear that up."

"Without the unicorn, we can't do anything," realizes Vanessa in shock. Her voice drops to a whisper and she mutters some things under her breath Kendra probably wouldn't appreciate hearing. "Dammit. That's unfortunate." She looks at Kendra curiously. "Do you think the Fairy Queen would let you call upon him?"

Kendra shakes her head firmly, minding the icky feeling in the pit of her stomach. "That would be a bad idea. Unless…" She trails off, eyes widening, remembering Bracken's words.

_I have a way in, too, straight from the Fairy Realm. __Of course, don't you ever try and come for me. You'll be burned up by the amount of energy scorching your flesh. Never come through my door, ever. Understand?_

"Unless what?" inquires Tanu, looking up at Kendra. "Kendra, with the rate your brother is worsening, I'm not sure he'll last another day. We're desperate."

Kendra bites her lip, eyes flicking to her brother. His mouth opens and closes like a fish's. Ajar and empty, Seth's eyes dart around the room pointlessly, pupils wide. His entire body trembles like a leaf caught in a gale, and sweat covers his forehead. Making her shiver uncontrollably, for a split second, his tormented eyes lock onto hers, and an agonized croak escapes his throat.

And Kendra makes her decision.

"I'll do it," she whispers, running a finger along the pearly bracelet. _Even if I die in the process_, she adds mentally, trying to rid her mind of despair.

* * *

Seth screams as it comes around for another swing. It looks like a massive bat, almost; scaly wings and long, crooked fangs peeking from the corners of its black mouth. An evil, golden-eyed, four-legged, hairy, blood-thirsty bat. It skrees deafeningly, beating those almost disproportionally large wings to swing in for another snap. Seth buries his head in his arms, trying to guard himself against the bat's blow…

* * *

Brach balances on the board as the salty spray bites at his cheek. In front of his toes, Jhama and Yetta teeter on the edge of the water and giggle to one another. The droplets of water tossed up from the massive wave curling over his shoulders fall on his cheek, fresh and awakening.

Jhama and Yetta howl in unison as the wave peaks overtop of them, and begins to break. Brach narrows his eyes and navigates through the tunnel it creates, steering the surfboard expertly through the surf. In a matter of seconds, they're out of the aquamarine cyclone of seawater and coasting over the sparkling sea.

Jhama cackles. "That was the best one yet!"

"I liked the one that we got dumped the best," disagrees Yetta.

Brach chuckles. "I didn't like that at all. We had to sit out, remember? My wings have to dry. We had to sit out for a _long_ time."

"Well, yeah." Yetta turns to him with wide sea green eyes. "But then we got to play in the sand. I loved that." She makes gestures with her paws. "I made you into a mermaid! A fairy mermaid! We used shells for your belt and bra! You were so pretty!"

"Thanks," laughs Brach. He leans down and tousles her fur. "I wouldn't have been pretty without you."

Jhama beams. "Thanks!"

"So." Brach crouches on the glossy board, bringing his face down to their levels. "You wanna go again?"

"Ye-es!" they craw in unison.

"Alrighty then," he whispers, cupping his hands in paddles. "Hold on tight."

* * *

Kendra trembles under the force of the swirling lights. It's so beautiful and twirling, those colors. Pastel purple, pale green, and powder blue spiral about on a bright white background. It reminds Kendra of hypnotism in cartoons. Now, in the immense library Bracken had gotten her for her birthday, Kendra must make her decision.

She takes a deep breath, and steps towards the portal uncertainly. Warmth tingles over her body as she dips the very slightest amount of her fingertip through the vortex. It responds with a sound like shimmering in movies and a pooling around her flesh.

Kendra hesitates, and takes another step forward, until she's up to her arm. It's not warm tingles anymore; it's hot stabs, running up and down her body. The arm stuck in the portal feels like a pound of lead rather than a limb. Her brain aches. Rubbing her temple with her other hand, Kendra takes a deep breath and jumps into the brilliant gateway.

Pain explodes all over her body, like a million starbursts of fire racing up and down her body. Kendra thinks she screams, but she can't tell. The world hurts. Her head hurts even more. It's like someone's stuffing it with knowledge, packing it until it can't hold anything else and then stuffing it some more. Kendra screams as her brain begins to press against her skull, and the pressure rises with every one of her panted breaths…

_Take another step forward,_ orders an unfamiliar male voice in her mind. Kendra drowns it out with the agony in her chest as her heart beats faster and faster. Can a heart beat itself to death? Because Kendra's is about too…

_Kendra Sorenson, take another step forward,_ growls the proud voice again, _or you will perish here._

Taking a deep breath and mustering the last of her strength, the voice easing some of the pain off her mind, Kendra laboriously does as the voice commands.

* * *

_Bam, bam, bam!_ The sound of Bracken's fist connecting with the solid punching bag fills him with deep satisfaction. He narrows his eyes, focusing on the heavy "enemy," and launches a new bout of powerful blows to the poor bag. It swings with every powerful strike, chain creaking in protest. He drowns out everything in his practice: the light shimmering around him, the sound of people hurrying to and fro past the open doorway to his right, the throb of Kendra's pulse in his first horn, even his own emotions. All that exists is the bag in front of him and the pleasurable burn in his muscles.

_Bam_! A particularly ferocious punch leaves the bag caterwauling in the air. Before is swings back, Bracken readjusts his stance and lifts his fists once more. The bag is met on its return with more angry strokes, each building more and more power. The black bag squeals with protest. For some reason that Bracken can't subconsciously figure out, he's getting angry. Angry with himself, as if he's doing something wrong.

But that makes no sense, so Bracken shakes off the feeling with a furious punch. Drowning out the giggle of a female unicorn catching him working out with his shirt off from the hallway, Bracken launches into another string of attacks on the poor battered body bag. The swiftness of his blows succeeding one another even surprises him as he beats up the punching bag.

Suddenly, a spike of raging energy floods through his system, coming from nowhere at all. With an awful snarl of rage, Bracken lunges into a punch at the bag. Snapping the chains, the blow knocks the bag into the air for a few feet. It slides a few more across the floor. He pulls back in ragged pants, eyeing his handiwork critically. Bracken notes in confusion that his face is sculpted by rage. Some part of him notices that the female unicorn is no longer giggling.

Any pause in his training will result in less of a lesson learned at the end. He can ponder this later. Every breath he takes removes time from his drill.

With a growl to no one in particular, Bracken strings up the punching bag again and starts once more, focusing, trying to get back into the zone. His feet slide apart and into the correct stance, and he holds his fists back into the ready position, eyes fixing back on the bag.

_Bam, bam, bam!_ The burn, aching in his muscles like acid. _Bam, bam, bam! _Just his fist colliding with the heavy material. _Bam, bam, bam!_ Just Bracken and the bag.

He isn't even fully submerged into his routine before Bracken gets interrupted again. At first, he wonders if he's dreaming, and simply ignores his overactive imagination as best he can, throwing a few more punches. But then the voice gets closer and more desperate, choking over its words, and Bracken pauses for a split second. He turns to see a familiar form standing in the doorway, so bright he's forced to squint against the glare.

Kendra.

No, not just Kendra.

Kendra _with tears running down her face._

"Kendra," Bracken breathes in horror, muscles relaxing. The spikes of energy, the feeling of rage…. He was mad at himself for not realizing she needed him. In one smooth motion, Bracken slips off the makeshift gloves and races towards Kendra, calling her name the way a dead man calls for life.

"Bracken," she sobs, green eyes so filled with tortured emotions that Bracken understands why he'd wanted to hit something, hard. Kendra begins to quiver delicately. "Oh, Bracken."

Bracken catches her in his arms, clutching Kendra to himself. She shivers still, trembling horribly. He closes his eyes and focuses on holding Kendra, on reassuring her, on protecting her from whatever had frightened her, frightened her so much that she crossed realms to come to him. Bracken wraps his arms tighter around Kendra, trying to heal her solely with his warmth.

"Kendra," he whispers, one hand clawing through her tangled brown hair. "Kendra, Kendra, Kendra."

She relaxes at first, molding to his grip. Her arms twine around her bare chest and constrict. Kendra even sets her head on his chest, temple resting on his collarbone and lashes brushing his neck in a way that both tickles and awakens his love. But then she stiffens, and pulls away from his embrace. "I thought—" Her quavering voice breaks, and she looks away. "I thought something had happened to you!"

"No." Bracken goes from immensely worried to puzzled. It's not as if he had neglected to reply to her before. "I'm fine. What's wrong, Kendra?"

That causes another sob to rip through her body, so heartbreakingly terrified that Bracken clutches her to him again, desperate to assure his Queen. "Seth," she whispers in a choked voice. "Seth is what's wrong, Bracken. He's sick. So sick. We – we have to go!"

She pulls back, and immediately begins tugging on his arm, beckoning him towards the door. Bracken digs his heels into the marble floor, shaking his head in confusion. He catches her waist again smoothly, glancing down at her in bafflement. "Kendra, what –"

"Seth caught some strange virus or something," she begins, mouth moving a mile a minute, and thoughts racing even faster. "We don't know how or when. We don't know how long he's had it. He's really, really sick. Really sick. We don't know what to do and it's nothing like we've ever seen before and you wouldn't answer and Tanu said he might not make it another day—" Kendra breaks off, voice cracking. She refuses to meet his eyes until he tucks a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"We'd better hurry then." Bracken releases Kendra. "Firsts things first: I need a shirt."

Kendra looks at his bare chest, apparently just noticing that he's only semi-dressed. "Oh." She blinks. "I love your abs. They're very nice."

Bracken smiles as he pivots around to scoop a t-shirt from an ornate wooden bench lining the wall to the royal training room. Kendra's not so tormented that she still can't be flirty. Good.

"Second things second," he grunts as he pulls the grey cotton shirt over his head, walking back to Kendra's side. "Off to the Fairy Court."

Kendra stares at him, mortified. "What?"

Bracken looks at her incredulously, lips quirking in a smile of mischief. "I'm a _good_ little son. I _always_ ask permission from my parents before I spend the night at _any_ sexy lady's house."

* * *

"I'm nervous," Kendra mutters out of the side of her mouth to Bracken. And she is. So, so nervous. Her heart is bound just to flutter right out of her ribcage. He glances down at her with those beautiful bluish silver eyes and squeezes her hand reassuringly. The light from the stained glass window behind him turns his pale face and white hair into a rainbow of colors.

"Don't be," he murmurs softly, thumb massaging her hand. "Everyone will love you; my father already does."

"He does?" wonders Kendra aloud.

"Of course." His eyes shine. "Who did you think guided you through the portal? By the way" – those glorious eyes turn sinister – "I am still not happy about that. Not happy _at all_."

Kendra withers underneath his pointed glare, and any confidence he'd returned to her goes down the drain. Bracken sighs, and shakes his head, voice filling with the cold edges of anger. "I told you not to do that. I told you that you'd burn up. Did I not tell you that?"

"You told me," whispers Kendra, keeping her eyes glued to the mosaic floor tiles.

"Do you have any idea what would've happened if my father hadn't been alert?" Bracken rakes a hand through his hair in Kendra's periphery, like he always does when he's unhappy. "You would be dead right now. So dead. And I—" Bracken looks to the ceiling, Adam's apple bobbing.

"I'm sorry," Kendra murmurs, trying to curl up into a ball. It seems she can't do anything right. Stupid, stupid girl… He'd just been focused on working out…

Bracken's thumb moves over her hand once again. "Now, that might be a little extreme," he says softly. Bracken breathes out. "I didn't mean to be unkind. I'm sorry. You just worry me so much. I don't think you realize how important you are to me."

"Can't be nearly as much as I love you," mumbles Kendra, meeting his apologetic eyes.

Bracken snorts. "I doubt it." He rakes a hand through his hair again. "We were talking about my dad, right? Right. Anyway, so, apparently, everyone in my family thought I was gay. Every female unicorn as well, for that matter. It was a big slap in the face for many of them."

Kendra laughs. "You?" she entertains. "Gay?"

"My thoughts exactly," chuckles Bracken. "You'll be getting more than one jealous glance from the woman half of the room. They all evidently were throwing themselves at me left and right. But that's okay. They deserve to be jealous in your presence." Kendra blushes with pleasure.

An astrid throws apart the beautifully carved golden doors, clomping towards them in his gilded full-battle armor. "Their Majesties will see you now," he squawks with an unpleasant screechy voice. He sidesteps and bows, and Kendra gets her first glance at the inside of the Fairy Queen's throne room.

The ceiling is high and beautiful, crisscrossed with leafy vines and blooming flowers. The vines hold together random pieces of stained glass, casting beautiful light over the white marble floor. Fairies of all shapes and sizes dart around through the rafters, along with beautiful multi-colored birds with magnificent feathers. Constantly shifting and changing murals line the sides, broken constantly by windows to let the light inside. Down the middle of the aisle, gleaming purple carpet shows the way to two beautifully carved thrones, both golden and gleaming like two miniature suns. On one side of the room, female unicorns, both in human and horse shape, mull about. On the other, male unicorns stand.

Kendra's mouth drops, and that's before she hears the beat played. Frowning, she recognizes the metallic sound of a keyboard. And… is that… _chopsticks_?

Looking to the throne about forty feet away, Kendra sees a man illuminated by a shaft of sunlight. His facial shape is remarkably like Bracken's, with the same silvery blue eyes and everything. Chin freckled with a light colored beard and head covered in thick silver curls, he obviously has the same hair type as the Fairy Prince. He's lounging on the throne like a beach chair, and, balancing on one knee, is a little kid's keyboard.

And the King of Fairies is playing _chopsticks_.

Kendra bites her lip to contain laughter. Acting on lead from Bracken, she strides forward proudly down the lane, keeping her head held high. Just like he'd said, she received many a jealous glare from the female half of the room. Reaching the risen platform which the two thrones rest, Kendra sinks into a kneel.

"Rise!" sings the male voice from her ghostly experience in the portal. Something, possibly Bracken kneeling beside her, prompts her to wait.

"She is my handmaiden," reminds the Fairy Queen's voice in irritation. "She does what I desire, not you."

"So, what, you're gonna have her profess her desire with her face to the floor?" The man snorts. "Good luck with that." The Fairy King launches into another go-round of chopsticks. Kendra tries not to be too surprised about his modern cadence.

"Rise, Kendra," intones the Fairy Queen in a not-very-friendly tone of voice. Shooting a nervous glance at Bracken, Kendra stands before the King and the Queen. Bracken's father starts playing chopsticks again. The Fairy Queen's eyes are only remotely interested. "Tell me, my dear, what need is so dire that you risk your own life to call upon my son?"

A smile touches Bracken's lips, something Kendra takes into note before she begins. _I will not cry_, she vows to herself before starting. "My brother, Your Majesty; he fell ill of some disease… or something. We don't have the skills to heal him and…" Tears prickle at her eyes, seriously threatening her resolution. "If Bracken doesn't come help, I think he may die."

"I see," says the Fairy Queen at the exact same moment as the Fairy King groans, "Gah, why don't you just let him go? It's not like they're going to be snuggling the whole time. He's curing a disease thing. Not spending the night in her room. Also, also, look at your precious handmaiden! She's close to breaking down and bawling in front of everybody! Obviously, she's distressed. Let him go."

The Fairy Queen turns to the Fairy King, and Kendra suddenly feels pitted between two very angry, very dangerous wild animals. "And are you willing to take Bracken's chores upon yourself?" she questions icily.

Bracken's father hesitates, and Kendra holds her breath. Finally, the Fairy King glares at his son. "You owe me one," he growls, playing chopsticks with one hand and petting a majestic cockatoo with the other.

Bracken smiles gratefully, bowing his head. "I promise, I'll make it up to you."

The Fairy King's eyes sweep over Kendra, and suddenly, she feels naked underneath his piercing glare. "I expect you will," he murmurs, still looking at Kendra, though addressing Bracken. "I expect you will."

* * *

Chaos smiles against the dull throb in his head. "I told you so," he rasps around the blood glugging from the corner of his mouth. Spitting out the blood, Chaos glares in absolute malice at his torturer. He lifts his head to accept another blow. "I told you so."

* * *

"Wow, your dad was… different," bubbles Kendra. She smiles up at Bracken, very much relieved that it's him and not some stranger healing her brother. "Very different from a lot of unicorns."

"He is different," agrees Bracken. "My father is absolutely delighted by your technology. That's why he was playing chopsticks in there. He also believes in staying with the times. In a way, I suppose he's right. Today's modern will be tomorrow's ancient, so he might as well enjoy today when it happens."

"Wise words," approves Kendra, elbowing him playfully. He smiles down at her heart-meltingly and kisses her temple with the gentleness of an angel. Kendra's grin broadens. "So, are we going the same way we came?"

"No," laughs Bracken curtly, teasing mood gone. "We're not going to fry you up again, you stupid human girl." Kendra tries to mask her hurt, and, apparently, she does so successfully, because Bracken doesn't seem to notice. "We're going to go through the shrine. Mom's still working out a few bugs, but we're slowly getting to the point where I can jump between shrines as freely as Raxtus."

"Ah." Kendra's mind is elsewhere, and they continue in silence. Bracken still doesn't seem to notice that anything's wrong, smiling to himself and waving at passing fairies, and, once, at a unicorn caught in a net a few hundred feet from the ground.

A "SHRINES" sign hangs over a gateway leading to a beautiful garden comes into view, and still, Bracken hasn't noticed Kendra practically prickling with anger. Picking her statement carefully, Kendra asks, "Is there any way… that I… could be transferred to a different unicorn?"

Bracken halts suddenly, his eyes filled with so much confusion and hurt that Kendra almost feels guilty. Almost. His eyes search her face, and he looks as though he'd been betrayed. "What – why would you want that?" Bracken questions in bewilderment, pain leaking into his voice.

"Three words," snaps Kendra, finally breaking under all the pressure of her brother's sickness and meeting the Fairy King and finding out that Bracken had just been ignoring her and her gazillion driving tickets she'd probably get and the disappearance of Chaos and all the prissy glares of the female unicorns and the strain of the portal. She stalks off through the palace, leaving him behind her, in no general direction. "'Stupid human girl'."

* * *

Chaos winces, but not because of the pain. "Oh, boy, Bracken," he whispers to himself. "How could you possibly dig that hole any deeper?"

* * *

**Oh, boy, Bracken. I agree with Chaos on this one. Stupid unicorn. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed! Please review and stuff! The longer your review, the more incentive for me to write longer! It's a direct correlation, guys! **

**POLL: do you think I painted Bracken's father well, as a sort of funny madman? I hope so. He spent a bunch of time in Zzyxx, he's not going to come out unchanged…**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	5. Chapter 4

**I had some questions as why did Kendra get ticked off. Well, stress does funny things to people's minds. It makes them more fragile, more eligible for insult. And, honestly, she had every right to be mad at Bracken anyway. So yeah. There's that.**

**I STILL NEED A COVER.**

**PS: What happened to That Guy? I MISS YOUR REVIEWS!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Bracken can feels Kendra's eyes on him as he crouches before her brother, and can practically feel the waves of anger rolling off her figure. It makes his heart ache. She… she hadn't been very happy about his insistence to come along. To say the least. But even the thought of any other unicorn leaning over Seth with Kendra next to him…. No. not even a female. But Kendra hadn't been pleased. In order to rid his mind of those painful thoughts, Bracken lays a hand on Seth's chest.

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump._ His heart's fine. In fact, everything seems to be fine. Bracken frowns. Something must be wrong; Seth's caught in a sort of comatose, covered in sweat and shivering madly. But he can't detect anything at all.

Suddenly, it hits him as something peers out from underneath Seth's shirt collar. Digging his fingers between the fabric, Bracken pulls the tiny object out as gently as possible. Careful not to touch the tip, Bracken wipes it clean with a nearby tissue, and then holds the gleaming silver dart up for everyone to see.

The blix whistles. "I'd pay big bucks to get just one of those."

"Huh?" wonders Kendra, anger not coloring her tone of confusion.

Bracken glances at her, trying to take his sadness down a notch and failing utterly. "Clamazonian dart." He holds it in front of his eye, inspecting the barbed tip. "Very rare. Very expensive. Almost always lethal. Unless, of course, you've got a unicorn on hand."

"Can you heal him?" whispers Kendra hoarsely. It takes all of Bracken's willpower not to scoop her up in a comforting embrace. He glances at her as reassuringly as he can, and smiles.

"Did you miss the unicorn part?" he teases, cocking his head and smiling. "Your brother will be fine, Kendra; I swear my life on it."

Her eyes darken, and one hand flies to Cadeliah's swords at her waist in their double scabbard. "I'll hold you to that."

Bracken sighs. "I know you will. That's why I'm trying to focus."

Warren steps back, eyes flicking between the two of them. "Relationship problems?" he guesses aloud.

"Yes," answers Bracken at the same time Kendra growls, "No."

Vanessa laughs, her beady eyes glinting cruelly. "If you ever need to borrow a sledgehammer, Kendra, let me know. I have one lying around." She grins demonically at Bracken. "They're remarkably effective on unicorns."

"If somebody doesn't focus on healing Seth, then I might have to," threatens Kendra, bristling angrily. Her anger makes Bracken sad. So, so sad. If he could, he'd go back in time and beat himself up before Bracken could've ever utter those breaking words.

Bracken sighs heavily and places the palm of his hand over Seth's chest, closing his eyes to better channel his energy. With a sensation like a siphon tugging at his gut, a pulse of glowing power flows through his veins all the way to Seth's flesh. With a gasp like the dead awakening, Seth bolts up, nearly cracking Bracken on the forehead.

"Welcome back," greets Bracken with a chuckle. He rises from the couch and steps back to allow Kendra to bustle past. She kneels before her brother, pushing strands of his sweaty hairs from his face. With an internal sigh, Bracken slips out the door and heads off to the kitchen.

Rounding the corner to the Sorenson family kitchen, Bracken's so caught in thought that he doesn't notice the snowy white owl with one claw in the Nutella until that owl pops that Nutella covered claw into her beak. Bracken jumps fifty feet in the air at the sudden appearance of Cassandra, a half-astrid, half-owl hybrid. She jumps as well, spilling the Nutella all over the floor and squawking in surprise.

"Cassandra!" yelps Bracken in surprise.

"Your name!" yelps Cassandra, copying his tone. Awkwardly flailing her wings, she makes a mad dash for the Nutella on the floor, claws skating over the stone. She shrieks and picks it up in her beak. She makes a hissing noise and takes to the sky, zooming over his head. Bracken frowns as she flaps off, Nutella jar clutched in her golden beak.

"Cassandra stole the Nutella!" tattles Bracken.

From the other room, he swears he hears Kendra laugh. Bracken smiles to himself. Maybe there is hope.

* * *

Bracken sighs. Or maybe not.

* * *

"Hey, unicorn." Bracken turns to see the blix reclining against the doorway, her eyes gleaming maliciously. Bracken sighs, but pays attention to her petty plights. "That was a Clamazonian dart. Rarest thing I've ever seen in my life. Expensive to make, even more expensive to buy. They render a victim helpless, and then slowly kills them through some awful mental poisoning. Why would anybody use that on Seth? No offense to the little dude, but he's not _that_ important."

Bracken breathes out slowly. "Apparently, he is to somebody."

* * *

"Kendra!" Seth hears Bracken call from the hallway, the unicorn's voice pleadingly desperate. His eyes peel open, and, from his sickbed on the couch in the TV room, Seth eavesdrops. "Please!"

"Go away, Bracken," sighs his sister tiredly. "Just… go away. I don't want to hear it."

He hears the sound of Kendra scaling the stairs, slowly and unenthusiastically. Seth's about to go crazy with curiosity when Bracken hurls himself into the room and throws himself down on the armchair opposite to Seth couch, closing his eyes and sighing slowly. Seth's concern for the unicorn builds as he notices the saggy bruises underneath Bracken's eyes, and the weariness in his features.

"Relationship problems?" remarks Seth after a few awkward seconds of silence. Bracken starts suddenly, his eyes slamming open. The unicorn jolts up, then realizes it's just Seth and eases back into the armchair. He sighs and closes his eyes again.

"Seth." Bracken sighs dully. "I forgot you were here. My apologies. Yes, I'm have a relationship crisis with your sister. I think she's scared, but I'm not sure what of. She's giving me a cold shoulder, and I can't figure out why." He shrugs. "She has every right to be mad at me, of course; I shouldn't have called her a silly human, no matter if I was joking or not. But… this is a bit extreme for Kendra. I'm worried."

Seth's halfway tempted to say, "Whoa, didn't ask for a life story there, buddy." But that wouldn't help the situation in the slightest. So, instead, Seth settles for, "Well… it makes sense to me."

Bracken looks up at Seth with a prompt in his eyes.

"Well…" Seth breathes out. "Look, dude, Kendra gave up her mortality for you. For most people, that would be awesome to be immortal, but not for Kendra. She remembers Lena far too well. She'd much rather die young and with her family then stay pretty for all eternity and watch those she loves wither around her. So… by choosing to accept the Immortality Pearl, she gave up a lot for you. And she's going to be insecure about it for a little while, always wondering if she chose wrong. So through these times, you need to stay by her side and support her more than usual. And, no offense, but you could be a bit more subtle. Just… I ship you two, and Kendra, dude… She really does love you."

Bracken stares at Seth blankly for a few seconds. Then he leans back in the chair, lids sealing over his distant eyes. "Thank you," he whispers. "That's exactly what I needed to hear."

* * *

The cold floor hurts. The rough stone scrapes across his burns with every breath, every movement. It sends ribbons of fire through him, and the agony subsides to a painful ache. It still bites and stabs. Even if Chaos had the strength to shift into a different position, it wouldn't make a difference. He's covered in open wounds. One lazy eyes watches as his blood laps at the floor and trickles over the room. He sighs contentedly, closing that one eye and focusing on the beat of his heart.

Chaos likes to sleep. He likes to sleep so much. Before Here, he never cared much about it. It wasn't an asset, it was a weakness. But now, in Here, sleep is an escape. They can't hurt you in your sleep. You're free. Free to wander.

Part of Chaos wants to fall asleep and never wake up. But another part reminds him of Little Wolf.

Little Wolf will come. Little Wolf with brandish his flaming sword high in the air and charge the enemy fearlessly. Little Wolf will rescue Chaos. He'll find Chaos. And Chaos will be free. No one will hurt him anymore. He'll stop fearing being awake. He will go home. Little Wolf will come.

But his words ring in Chaos's mind like a taunt. "The boy doesn't even like you! Your precious Little Wolf will probably be thanking the heavens that you're gone, never mind wondering what happened to you! Face it, you old sot! You're all alone!"

And yet another part of Chaos agrees with him. Little Wolf is not coming. Chaos is completely alone.

* * *

Bracken settles onto the uncomfortable cot, wishing for sleep. He closes his eyes and rests, hoping that, maybe when he opens his eyes once more, all his problems will have drifted away. As if that happens in real life.

One last time, subconsciously, Bracken checks on Kendra. She still sleeps with his bracelet on, which is a good sign. His conscious molds to her blurred sleeping thoughts, and a knot of emotions untangles itself at the sensation of her unfocused feelings pouring over him. Bracken sighs, and lets Kendra's emotions fully take him over.

_I love you_, he whispers, right before his sleeping conscious intermingles with hers and Bracken lapses into a deep slumber.

* * *

Cassandra perches herself over Seth's peaceful form, careful not to lay a feather on him. She looks down at his innocent face, so handsome and yet so tortured. The poor boy has a big destiny ahead of him, and huge shoes to fill. He'll be an outcast himself one day, despite his cheerful personality and protective spirit.

There will come a time when Seth will walk alone with the shadows. When nobody will trust their pups near him. When he'll be viewed as public enemy number one. Someday, Seth will walk alone. Completely and utterly alone.

But, as Cassandra gazes down on his tranquil dreaming face, she decides that those days haven't come quite yet. Squaring her wings and ruffling her tail feathers, Cassandra balances herself on the couch frame.

Seth isn't alone yet. Just this once, she'll watch over him, guard him until the sun rises. Just this once, she'll protect his dreams and save his innocence from the evil clutches of the darkness. And then she'll go away again.

* * *

Kendra tightens her robe's belt around her waist before she tiptoes quietly down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone. The dark house is eerie and creaky, like a horror movie. She shivers despite herself. The digital clock on the wall hits 12:00, and Kendra reaches the bottom of the stairwell.

In order to get to the kitchen and get a midnight snack, she's gotta cross through the living room. It's a rather simple place, honestly; two poufy sofas and a small TV from the 1600's. It doesn't occur to her, that, because Seth is sleeping in the room where Bracken usually rests, that the unicorn might be in this room.

She's halfway across by the time she spots him, face illuminated by a shaft of moonlight. He would look peaceful. He would've that, is, if his face hadn't been contorted by agonized panic. Kendra pauses, heart racing. What's wrong? Is something wrong? Is Bracken okay? Despite herself, she can't help her heart from racing.

His breathing only gets more and more ragged until he emits a soft noise of pain. Kendra's heart thumps in her chest. But Bracken isn't finished yet. His back arches and, very, very quietly, he cries, "Kendra!" Murmuring her name a few more times, he begins to twitch with his nightmare.

In a swish of robes, she's kneeling by Bracken's side. The rough fabric making up the rug chaffs against her knees, but she doesn't care. Her hands fly to his face, gently stroking the loose tendrils of his silky silver hair out of his face and tracing the shapes of his features. He still doesn't wake, continuing to shiver beneath her fingertips.

As gently as humanly possible, Kendra gently picks up his head. She shifts onto the couch and tenderly lays it down on her lap. Her hands continue to caress his face, massaging all his tense muscles. Uncertain on what she'd doing, Kendra begins to sing Demi Lovato under her breath to calm him.

By the very sound of her voice, Bracken unwinds. He relaxes underneath her, muscles releasing their tension. His shoulders slump, and his head tilts to the side slightly. Kendra swipes a finger down his throat to check the sweat sparkling in the moonlight. He's practically drenched in it.

Kendra clutches Bracken's head like he's her lifeboat in the Titanic. His breathing doesn't even change. She cocks her head, wondering to what extent she should take this one-way canoodling. Any thought of a midnight snack is disbanded now, of course. Funny how Bracken can just make everyday life things seem so unimportant.

The unicorn awakens so fast all Kendra sees are his blue eyes sliding open and a blur of motion. A hand grips her wrist, and slams her against the couch with jaw-rattling force. Another hand grabs her other wrist, and shoves it against the couch frame as well. Jostled, Kendra doesn't fight Bracken's fierce strength as he smashes her against the sofa and pins her there.

Her eyes come back into focus staring into his silvery blue. They're far away, still caught in his dream, but his expression is so intense it makes her shiver. His brow is furrowed and his face is lined with fury. His breath, coming out in ragged pants, swirls over her chest almost threateningly. The muscles on his bare chest flex with every breath, and Kendra works very hard to keep her eyes from drifting down to his appealing V. When her eyes lock onto his, the smoldering rage there makes it very hard to look away.

Suddenly, all that ire just vanishes.

Bracken gasps and pulls himself back, seemingly shocked. He blinks with surprise, freeing her wrists and rocking back on his haunches. Kendra lets her hands fall lifelessly, not sure if any sudden movements will spook him again.

"I'm sorry," he stammers, retracting. Bracken's eyes shine with repentance, and he fires away like a machine gun on rapid fire. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. You – I had no clue who you were. Actually, one of my thoughts was about protecting you from an intruder, which is stupid because –" Bracken looks away, blushing.

"It's okay," she soothes quaveringly.

"Kendra," he whispers in amazement, eyes sliding back up to hers.

"That's me," laughs Kendra shakily, heart still fluttering uncontrollably with fright. "If you want to take me prisoner for the night, just ask, okay?"

"Kendra," he repeats. Bracken blinks. "You're… here."

"Evidently so," she agrees. Kendra's hard defense mechanism softens underneath those beautiful eyes. She leans forward and grabs one of his hands in both of hers, staring into those eyes with passionate emotions she doesn't really want to hide any longer. "You were crying out for me," she whispers tenderly. "You were shaking, like you were having a nightmare. How could I resist? The young maiden fell for the unicorn in need."

Bracken's smile is earthshakingly sweet. "And the unicorn fell in love with his savoir." Bracken leans forward and catches Kendra's mouth in his. Kendra leans into the wonderful kiss, not ever wanting to break apart. His arms wrap around her, and her hands twine around his neck.

Finally, the kiss ends, leaving them both breathing hard. They stare into each other's eyes, and Kendra feels like she could live off of the life shining in those silvery eyes. No, they're not just silvery. They're layer and beautiful, like fragments in opal; shades of grey and white and blue, all overlapping each other, with just a hint of gold lining his dark pupils. So beautiful.

Kendra isn't sure how long she sits in Bracken's arms, but eventually, she begins to doze off. Bracken holds her tighter to his chest. Kendra's hands hold his chest. The constant drumbeat of his chest lulls Kendra into a deep, deep slumber.

If Kendra had known that this is one of the last times she'll hold Bracken and hear his glorious heartbeat in a long, long time, she probably would've kissed him a bit harder.

* * *

"Is everything in position?" whispers the master through the intercom. His voice is urgent and dark.

The new slave gazes out at the dark valley drenched in dark light, his eyes roaming until he finds the yellow lights marking the mansion. Holding the radio to his mouth, he whispers, "Everything is in place. They won't suspect a thing 'til she's ours. Then it'll be too late."

* * *

The man smiles gloatingly at Chaos. "We've already won, you old fool. Soon, my people will be back in strength, more powerful than ever before, while you rot in this old cell! We will conquer! My children will go forth and take which is rightfully theirs and exterminate whoever gets in their way!"

Chaos squeezes his eyes shut, not challenging. Partially because he knows it will only bring more torture, partially because he knows that the man is right.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter!**

**So, it seems, Brackendra has absolved itself and Chaos is in deep doo-doo. Somebody really hates him, and maybe Kendra…? LOL. I always love bragging about cliffhangers. **

**POLL: Do you guys like Cassandra and Seth maybe becoming a couple later on, or would you like them both just to remain friends? It is really up to you guys. I could write either way. It's fun to make it your story as much as it is my story, though. **

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	6. Chapter 5

**DUN DUN DUN.**

**Although I gave the choice to you guys, I'm deciding to rule out Seth and Cassandra getting together. I like Seth's character as a single foot-loose dude, with the occasional crush on unattainable women. I also like the idea of an unbreakable friendship in the midst of all this romance. **

**WARNING: STUFF GOES DOWN IN THIS CHAPTER. NO MORE HINTING. EVIL GUY IS MAKING HIS MOVE. AND POOR BRACKENDRA IS GOING TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF IT. CHAOS IS ALSO IN EVEN DEEPER TROUBLE. SETH IS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY. ENEMIES PAST ARE RALLYING AND AN ANCIENT DEITY IS SHIFTING IN THE DARK. LIKE I SAID, THINGS ARE GOING DOWN.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Legs trembling uncontrollably with every step, Seth rises from the couch. Determination brims inside of him, fueled by the information Cassandra had come with. The owl hovers next to him, her large dark eyes shining.

Panting, Seth makes his way to the doorframe. He leans heavily against the side, and Cassandra places a claw on his shoulder. "Maybe you shouldn't –" she begins.

Seth cuts her off. "Why hasn't anyone told me this before? He's my frigging mentor!" Hobbling down the hallway, he nearly teeters into the fancy vase, steadied only last-minute by Cassandra's supporting claws.

"I wouldn't have told you if I'd thought you were going to run off and do this," she scolds, flapping her wings in his face to block his progress. "I don't think Chaos would like you to avenge him by killing yourself."

"I'm not going to die," growls Seth, ducking around Cassandra's soft white feathers. "Bracken said so."

Cassandra makes a hissing noise and grabs Seth's face with one scaly talon. "I don't care what the unicorn said. _You are not going to run off_." He pulls up short, and gazes into those angry owlish eyes. They glint darkly. At first glance, Cassandra looks like a creature of light with her snowy white feathers and golden highlights. But then you look into her eyes, and you see the darkness writhing inside her soul.

"Eyes," Chaos had once said, "tell much more about a whimsical creature's personality than anything else in this world."

And now, Seth understands.

He tears away from her, grinding his teeth in frustration. He growls something about wanting breakfast, and continues limping down the hallway just out of stubbornness. Cassandra lands on his shoulder, one wing wrapping around his head. Her smooth feathers rub against his hair, the little feathery bits catching on his locks. She guides him as gently as possible.

Seth stumbles into the room, and his heart pulls touchingly. There, curled up together on the couch, are Kendra and Bracken. He isn't really sure who's holding who, because they're kind of both holding each other, but it's sweet. Bracken's arms wrap around Kendra, but he's leaning his forehead against hers. They're both still sleeping, so Seth lumbers quickly through the room as quietly as possible. In his ear, Cassandra whispers, "Aw, in the respect of their OTPness, I won't publish that to Howlz."

"Please don't," he breathes back. She shifts indignantly, and mumbles, "Well, it's not like I have no respect for privacy."

Seth smirks. "I hate to break it to you, but you really don't."

* * *

Crimson growls in frustration. Yet another dead end. Where is Chaos? Where could the old wolf possibly have wandered off to?

His eyes scan the thick woods, and the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Something, just out of his range of vision, is watching him. Focusing, Crimson feels its presence. It's massive. And powerful.

After a moment of quick decision, Crimson disappears in a flash of robes.

* * *

"Are you in position?" hisses the master through the communicator.

Eyes on the road just visible through the snowy trees, he whispers, "Yes."

"Good." The master's voice is cold. "Release the Bakeneko."

* * *

Kendra takes a sip out of her coffee, and then curses herself. She sets it back in the cupholder, breathing like a dragon. Too hot. Still too hot. Much too hot. She breathes like that until her mouth cools down, then risks a reproachful glare at the Starbucks coffee. Stupid steaming caffeine…

The car rolls past the wintry scenery, like she's in some sort of a fantasy movie. Snow had fallen overnight, blanketing the world in white. She'd awakened in Bracken's arms to a winter wonderland. Despite the inches of snow, they'd still decreed that school is on. Kendra thinks that's a horrible idea; her tires are practically skating over the ice.

As protection against the cold, Kendra had cranked up all the heaters to their top potential, keeping the car toasty against the chilly wind. Even though she scolds Seth for doing things like that every day, the warm wind brings on a bit of optimism. Every December, the radio fills with carols about angels or sexy men under the Christmas tree. The cheery songs echo through the small car, and Kendra sings along when she knows the words. She's seriously doubting her choices of apparel: a short sleeve shirt, sweater or not, isn't a good idea. With every passing minute, she's more and more grateful for the fleece jacket Bracken had shoved at her as she had bustled out the door.

It had been such a treat to awaken in his arms, looking up into those gorgeous blue eyes. He'd immediately towed her to the window and showed her the white world Fablehaven had been transformed into. At Bracken's request, the fairies had flapped their wings along the rows of icicles lining the house to vibrate the ice and create beautiful melodies.

Of course, all of that enchantment had dwindled as Kendra realized how late she would be to school. On that thought, she guns the car forward with a little more speed. Seth had stayed home with Bracken today because of his illness, leaving her alone with the car. It isn't quite so bad, if you don't consider the stench.

She's almost a third of the way to school by the time the first heavy snowflake falls. It smacks against her windshield like a white paint splatter, quickly melting and dissolving into nothing. Kendra's jaw drops as that one flake is followed by other swirling particles of snow. She watches in disbelief as they fall majestically around her speeding car, twirling like graceful fairies.

It's like one of those pictures you see on postcards, except in real life, and all around her car. She smiles in amazement as they spiral to the ground and throughout the white woods.

_Hey._ Out of the blue, Bracken's voice contacts Kendra through his horn. _Wasn't you math homework due today?_

Kendra's mildly confused by this. _Yeah._ Using one hand to steer, she strokes the bracelet in bribery for him to continue. _Why?_

Bracken's voice is amused. _Because it's here. In the kitchen. By the way, number fourteen is incorrect._

Kendra's foot slams down on the brake suddenly. She skids a few feet on the ice before she accelerates again, cursing herself. _Crap. That's a third of my day. If I turn back, I'll be late for school. _

Bracken's generosity laps tenderly at her mind. _I could bring it to you. Run it by the school. That way, you wouldn't get in trouble._

Kendra's heart beats a bit faster. That's so terribly sweet it makes her ache, but there's one crucial piece of logic missing from the equation. _Bracken, you don't have a car._

Bracken's mischief is so potent and so playful that Kendra feels herself succumbing to him, completely and utterly. _Vanessa left her Ferrari car keys on the counter. It seems like anybody could just nick in and take her special sports car for a joyride. _

Kendra laughs out loud to no one in particular. _Bracken, you're such a—_

Kendra's thrown against the wheel in a jarring motion. Teeth rattling, she struggles to right herself. Everything in the car dies. The engine cuts off with a click. The lights stop glowing, even the emergency ones. The radio shuts off with a blur of music, and the heat stops pumping. Everything is just off.

_Oh my God, Bracken._ Kendra's heart pounds in her veins like a sledgehammer. Her breath sounds super loud in her own ears compared to the eerie silence. _Oh my god. It all just shut off. What does that mean, Bracken?_

_I will find you,_ vows Bracken's voice, determination blazing through Kendra's mind. _I'm coming. Don't worry. I'll be there soon. I will come for you. I won't let anybody hurt you._

The entire car wobbles like something had just jumped on top of it. The car creaks in protest. Kendra begins to shiver uncontrollably, her hands jerking wildly. _It could be just a technological malfunction._ Bracken says nothing. _Right, Bracken? Right?_

It takes him a few seconds to respond. _I will find you. _

With a sound like tearing metal, one of the back doors disappears. Kendra's voice makes a high-pitched noise of terror, one that's quickly silenced. The cold air rushes in through the door, turning her breath into mist in front of her face. The car wobbles with more strength, and slowly, the creaking noises enter the inside and creep around the back seat, closer and closer to Kendra.

Sweat beads on Kendra's brow. Her hands tremor like mad, jerking so bad that she can't feel her fingers. Like a trapped bird, Kendra's heart flutters and splutters. In her periphery, she sees a long furry tail swish. She trembles like a leaf as the creaks come from right behind her. Despite her dreading curiosity, Kendra keeps her eyes glued to the road ahead of her in fear of what she might glimpse over her shoulder.

Frosty breath swirls over the skin at Kendra's neck, smelling like freeze-dried carcasses. Her shivering increases, and her eyes bug out at the sound of the rusty inhale and exhale of massive lungs. Her shuddering breath seems to excite the thing. The breath gets closer, breathing down her neck like Jack Frost himself.

_Oh my god, Bracken,_ whispers Kendra hysterically. _It's in the car with me. It's here. Oh my god, Bracken, it's—_

And then Kendra Sorenson says no more.

* * *

"Target acquired," he mutters into the communicator smugly.

* * *

Chaos squeezes his eyes shut. "My fault, my fault, my most grievous fault."

* * *

Bracken charges into Seth's room, breathing wildly like a maniac. Seth straightens, flipping off the TV show he'd been watching to pay attention to Bracken.

Seth frowns.

The unicorn has the wild looks of a tortured animal, spooked and uncertain but very, very panicked. His silvery blue eyes roll. Every muscle in his masculine body is flexed and tense, and his movements are jerky and uncoordinated. His nostrils flare, and the way Bracken looks at Seth instantly puts him on alert.

"Bracken." Seth swings his legs over the edge of the bed. "What –"

"We have to go!" urges Bracken, pulling on Seth's sleeve. "It's there with her! It's got her! We've got to go now! Hurry! I promised! Now! We have to go!"

"Huh?" wonders Seth, but at the exact same moment, Bracken goes rigid as a board. He cradles his head in his arms, and more sweat beads on his skin. Seth frowns, noticing the silver crescents along the unicorn's forearm where he had evidently dug his fingernails into his skin until it bled. Bracken's shaking breath alarms Seth.

The unicorn finally emerges from his protective walls. Seth's heart pulls as Bracken looks up at him. If the Fairy Prince's eyes had looked tortured before, they seem demented now. His arms tremble, and he stares down at Seth with wide eyes.

"Hey, dude," Seth soothes, "take it easy. What's wrong?"

"They cast a spell on my horn," he stammers in unstable disbelief. "I can't feel her anymore. I – I – I don't know where she is. They have her. They have her. _They_ have _her_. _They_ have _her!_" Bracken swings his fist into the nearest wall, and the plaster concaves around his blow.

"Whoa!" exclaims Seth, jumping to his feet and holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Who has who?"

Bracken's eyes meet his, and for the first time, Seth can see the agony in those eyes. The blame. The terror. And the exhaustion. "Don't you see? Isn't it obvious?"

Seth shakes his head. "No."

Bracken sighs, playing with his fingers. "First Chaos disappeared. You probably didn't know this, but every day, he runs beside the road and makes sure you and your sister get safely to school. At the end of the day, he runs you back. He was sort of like your guardian. You don't have a guardian anymore. So, what needs to be taken out of the equation next? You. You fall ill with a deadly disease. Your sister drives to school alone."

All the blood drains from Seth's face, and Bracken's pained words echo in his brain. _They have her. _

"Kendra," he croaks.

* * *

Slowly, the world swirls back into focus, starting with the excruciating pain at her wrists. Kendra blinks at her surroundings, trying to make sense of it, and failing. Then, it all comes back to her like a slap in the face.

Oh. The beast in the car.

That jars her back to reality pretty sharply. She jerks back, but discovers that she can't move. Kendra blinks. Her wrists are tied behind her back in coarse handcuffs, strapped to a tree like livestock. A wad of greasy cloth in her mouth acts as a gag, making it impossible to swallow. The snow had already seeped through her jeans and her sweater, and half her hair is deathly cold. Shivering because of the frostiness, she bundles into herself.

Not five feet from her, a figure sits, warm and dry before a smokeless crackling fire. Her mouth drops, and she tries to say something around the gag, but can't.

Matthew Green looks up at her in annoyance, his azure eyes burning. "Shut up, woman," he spits. Another bout of shivers racks through Kendra, and he rolls his eyes. "You're lucky my master wants you alive, you little minx. If it were up to me, you'd be dead long before now."

Kendra's bubbling with questions and taunts, but she can't speak around the gag. Matthew Green, the guy she'd been around since middle school, grins wolfishly at her.

"I picked up on your conversation with pony boy, you know," he says loftily, holding up a blinking square of technological stuff. "So sweet. The lover's last goodbye. For the life of me, I will never know why so many men choose to settle down with just one woman. Doesn't make any sense. But it was amusing to hear."

Kendra musters her strength. Glancing down at her wrist, she notices with a panic that Bracken's horn is missing. Frantically, she scans the snow for it, but Matthew's lilting voice interrupts her.

"Looking for this?" He waves around the pearly and gold band, and Kendra freezes. Matthew sneers. "I suppose you can have it now." He tosses it in the snow in front of Kendra. "It's useless. The unicorn can't hear you."

She looks up at him, a single question in her eyes: "Why?"

Matthew scoffs. "You think I'm your average Joe, don't you? I'm not. I'm a fully-fledged member of the Hunter's Society." Kendra stares at him blankly, and he grunts. "Of course, a girl wouldn't know about it. The Hunter's Society is just the most elite group of anti-whimsical warriors ever to exist, in all of history." His eyes shine with barbaric pride. "I'm going to be treated like a hero from my master. Just you wait and see."

Kendra swallows around the gag. Shifting forward in the bitterly cold snow, she curls around Bracken's horn bracelet. Touching her forehead to the metal, she focuses.

Kendra's heart jumps into her throat. She can't feel a thing. He's… he's gone. Not there. A single tear leaks down her cheek, frozen by the cold wind. Bracken isn't coming for her. She's all alone. Misery growing, Kendra rests her face in the snow, relishing the spread of numbness. Her eyes remain fixed on the horn.

"Just so you know, don't try to escape," calls Matthew loftily from behind her. "The Bakeneko is allowed to devour you if you try anything naughty."

Kendra tilts her head around to him in a question.

Matthew whistles, and a proud beast comes lunging forward. Kendra's eyes widen with recognition. The thing from the car!

The Bakeneko is a majestic thing, about eight feet from nose to tail. It's low to the ground, and the cat's shape reminds Kendra of snow leopards; actually, the Bakeneko looks a bit like a giant version of a snow leopard. Its thick fur is dappled with light grey spots, blending its pelt in with the rest of the wintry world. Its head is shaped differently, a bit like a thick but short wedge ending in a blunt nose, black and quivering with scents. Those giant golden eyes blaze like two massive coins, alert and all-seeing. It's disorienting, how fast they skate over everything and how diligent they seem. The Bakeneko's long tail swishes behind it, leaving trails in the snow. Huge ebony claws stick from its cobwebbed paws, each gleaming like kitchen knives. Those gold eyes fix on Kendra and it snarls, baring long ivory teeth at her in unabridged malice.

"This," brags Matthew, "it's the Bakeneko. He's trained in every way possible to take down a human being." Matthew rubs his hands together. He plucks something from his pocket and throws it into the fire. Instantly, the flames die down. "But, fortunately, you won't have to worry about that for a few more hours. Now that you're up, we can keep moving." He shoulders a hiking bag. "Try to keep up. It's annoying if you don't."

He slides a knife through the bindings holding her to the tree, and severs the rope. Tugging her brutally to her feet, Matthew does not untie her handcuffs, but instead, uses the long strands he'd cut from the tree to knot Kendra to his pack. Smirking, Matthew snatches the bracelet from the snow. In his hands, it turns into a spiraling unicorn horn.

Betrayal rages through Kendra as she gawks at the horn. It… for him… why…. Matthew slips forward and shoves the horn roughly between her breasts, jostling Kendra and embarrassing her at the same time. It doesn't stop her from baring her teeth at him.

It's good to feel Bracken's horn, though, to know she's not alone, no matter how awkwardly placed he may be. In vain, she searches for him, but gets no reply.

Matthew tugs her after him, and, as Kendra begins to trudge through the snow, an idea dawns on her. As subtly as possible, she looks back. In the snow, marks had been made where Matthew had dragged her out to this desolate spot in the middle of the woods. With just the hint of a smile on her features, Kendra begins making huge tread marks in the snow.

_Come and find me, unicorn._

* * *

_Come and find me, unicorn._

Bracken straightens, focusing inwardly. He'd thought he'd lost all connection from his first horn, but… that'd definitely been Kendra, speaking in his mind. But now, now that the message is over, he can't feel a thing at all. Strange.

"What the hell did this?" shouts Warren as he kicks at the door lying almost fifty feet from the car in the snow, already covered in a dusting of the powder.

Bracken's eyes narrow. "A Bakeneko, but not important," he shouts back. Bracken crouches in the snow. He focuses on the woods, looking for something astray, searching in his native home for the one thing that's wrong. Like a spot the difference puzzle.

There. Twenty feet or so from the car lying in the street. Bracken surges forward, trudging through the snow with abandon. It's an old thistle bush, killed by winter's embrace by the look of it. One of the brittle branches it snapped, and one of the thorns had snagged a little clump of greyish fur. Bracken smiles emotionlessly in grim achievement. Looking onward into the woods, he sees a set of pawmarks moving like a ghost through the forest, and another set of male footprints with a definite path. Beside the male tracks, there are unusual troughs in the snow, as if…

As if someone had been dragged behind the man.

Bracken smiles cruelly. "Mistake number one," he whispers. Then, back to Seth and Warren, Bracken calls urgently, "Hurry! This way! Before these snowflakes turn into a blizzard, and while the trail is hot! We have a chance!"

* * *

"C'mon, pretty girl," purrs Matthew, shoving her forward. Kendra digs her heels in the ground with her horror, staring at the machine in front of her.

Kendra's escape plan had not taken this into account.

A helicopter, in the middle of the Connecticut woods. Who thinks of these things? It's sleek and painted white, with oily black blades dusted with white snow. Across one of the sides, the word "Impaler" is scrawled in navy blue cursive. Matthew pushes her roughly forward.

"Did you not think I noticed your footsteps?" His cold voice is amused and terrifying, making the hairs on the back of Kendra's neck stand on end. "Oh, I saw them. So funny. No, your boyfriend is still stumbling around in the woods somewhere. No help is coming for you now."

He slings Kendra into the chopper roughly. Fighting every step, Kendra makes him practically drag her over to the side of the chopper. One hand clamped around her upper arm, Matthew swings open the door. She makes a noise in her throat in protest as he chucks Kendra in the back seat. Her head aches where it had hit the floor and her bones are cold as ice, but she just glares at him feistily. A noise from somewhere off to the left startles both him and the Bakeneko, but fills Kendra with hope.

A bellow of rage.

_Bracken's_ bellow of rage.

Without a sound, Matthew slips into the driver's seat, flips a few switches, and the blades begin to whir. He snuggly adjusts his headphones and hits Kendra upside the head with hers. She snarls at him through the gag. Leaning out of the window and apparently addressing the Bakeneko, Matthew barks, "Don't let him touch this chopper, you understand?"

The cat makes a _Mrrow_ noise and crouches menacingly, tail flicking through the air. Kendra's heart beats in fear for Bracken as the cat's diligent eyes scan the clearing.

Using the last of her diminishing energy, Kendra spits out the gag. It lands with a wet thump on the ground. Matthew glances back and shrugs to himself. Kendra tries to stumble to her feet, but falls as the chopper begins to levitate. Desperately, Kendra shuffles over to the window.

With a roar of fury, Bracken appears at the edge of the hidden clearing. He charges the Bakeneko with the prowl of a predator. Kendra's eyes widen as he slays the cat with a single strike, driving his horn through its neck. Pulling the horn free, he looks a bit like an angry god standing before his subjects, the way the light shines through his silver hair.

"Bracken," Kendra sobs as the chopper pulls away, gaining in elevation with every second.

He races forward and jumps, but it's way too high in the air for even a unicorn to catch. Stumbling backwards, Bracken brandishes his horn to the sky and roars again. A tear slips down Kendra's cheek, and she presses herself against the window to get a better view of him.

"KENDRA!" she hears him bellow, audible even over the chopping of the helicopter blades. The anguish in his voice makes her heart pound, and tears to prickle at her eyes.

Kendra presses her face against the glass, watching him until he fades, and then watching him a bit longer. "Bracken," she whispers. And then Kendra begins to sob.

* * *

**I told you it was going down. **

**POLL: How do you think Chaos is connected to all of this, other than the ways stated? What are your views on the story thus far? Please answer this even if you don't normally review!**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	7. Chapter 6

**And we're back…**

**Hopefully, I'll be uploading a cover picture that I drew for the title soon. It's kind of bad, I'm not a pro at drawing, but you guys don't have any right to complain since you all bailed on finding a different pic. Be prepared. **

**Also, not getting so many reviews anymore. They kind of just stopped. I don't know if that's school or what. I get a review from Supercell-auk, marshapono, Guuueeessst, and occasionally AerinM. So, either my writing started sucking enough to make you guys drop it or Chaos came and gobbled you up. Now, if anyone answers Chaos, I want to hear that story.**

**I'm not writing Time and Time Again anymore, so I'll just post it here. 3000+ views. That is so amazing I can't even. Thanks, guys!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

"I told you!" Kendra's mother wails, clawing at her face. "It's the unicorn! I know it is! I told you! He's got my girl, locked away somewhere! Blaming it on a helicopter! Cat thing, my ass!"

Bracken doesn't even muster the strength to respond, doesn't even fully process her words. An ache of emptiness engulfs his soul. His fault. His fault. Kendra. Over and over again, his mind replays those last awful moments. He'd seen her terrified face appear in the window, and he'd watched as Kendra has been lifted from the ground, hopelessly out of reach. _I will find you_. His last words echo through his thoughts. They'd taken her. They'd taken his Queen.

And Bracken doesn't know how to get her back.

"Mom, stop," scolds Seth on the outer rim of his conscious. Seth, he'd been there too. They'd all been relying on Bracken to lead them to Kendra in time. And he'd failed. "Just look at him. Bracken's more freaked out about this than you are. Stop giving him a hard time."

"More than I am?" shrieks his mother. "_More than I am?_ I'm Kendra's mother! I raised her from a little bundle of clothes! I am more worried than anyone else in the world, Seth! I lost my little girl once; now I'm losing her again, at the hands of a unicorn! I'll tell you what that is! That's his guilt as he realizes that he stole an innocent young girl away from her mom!"

Bracken buries his head in hands to block out the rest of the conversation. Because, in awful way, Kendra's mother is right. He may not have kidnapped Kendra, but this entire thing is his fault. It snarls and claws at his stomach and eats away at his mind. How could he have ever let this happen to his Queen?

"It isn't Bracken," insists Seth. "How hard is it for you to wrap your head around the fact that he's not Edward Cullen? Jesus, mom; Bracken's a unicorn with a mother even stricter than _you_!"

"I don't care!" she snaps, but Bracken's attention is snapped to something else. He straightens, and everything inside him tenses at another conscious adjoining his own.

_Bracken_, whispers Kendra's voice. _Bracken, where am I?_

* * *

Kendra shivers on the cold floor. It's smooth and not even the slightest bit fractured, like a marble flooring. Her eyes strain in the darkness; yes, it's dark. Her aura of light isn't illuminating things, and it scares her. She's always been so reliant on her glow to light the way that she hadn't really considered there being another option for her. But now, the darkness compresses on all sides. She scoots over the floor until her back hits something cold and solid. A wall.

Exploring slowly with her fingers, Kendra traces up the rugged side. It keeps going higher, higher than she can reach while crouching. Her frightened curiosity gets the better of her, and she begins to scoot around the little room.

It's obviously a cell, no larger than a janitor's closet with a high ceiling and smooth floors. There's nothing in here, nowhere to alleviate herself. Not a bed nor a pillow. Just cold. There isn't of inkling of light anywhere. The only reason Kendra knows she isn't blind is because, if she waves her hand in front of her own face, she can pick up just the slightest swirl of movement.

And it smells awful, too: like something had died here, and then just been washed away with a torrent of sewer water. The floor at the edges is damp, something Kendra tries and fails to tell herself isn't the alleviation of a past inmate.

Numbness begins to spread over her body. Her teeth chatter slightly, rattling with a rhythm of their own. Okay. Okay. What to do now? She… she needs to find a spot somewhere on the ground where she can huddle and conserve her body heat. Kendra drops to her hands and knees.

Brushing her hand over the ground, her thumb nudges something irregular on the floor close to the center. At first, Kendra flinches away from the object. But then, curiosity getting the best of her, she inches a bit closer. It touches her hand again, and it feels… warm. Warm, smooth, and spiraled. Her mouth drops.

Could it be?

Her hand clamps around it, and she holds it to her face. Gingerly, Kendra strokes it with her fingers, massaging the contours she knows so very, very well. Tears prickle in her eyes, and she clutches it to her chest, longing to hear the voice of its sweet, sappy owner.

Bracken.

Silly, laughing Bracken. Funny Bracken. The Bracken who hates Pop Tarts. The Bracken who loves her with everything he has, and lets her know it often. Bracken. Overprotective Bracken. Now, she wishes he'd been overprotective as she'd driven to school. She wishes he'd joined her.

If only she hadn't protested his overprotectiveness. She'd be safe in his arms still.

Kendra curls around the lifeless horn. She buries her head in her knees, cradling around Bracken as if clinging to his horn will grant her eternal life. His warmth emanates through her, curing her numb body like an antidote.

_Bracken_, whispers Kendra into the horn, reaching forward into the lifeless remainder of the unicorn she'd slept in the arms of. _Bracken, where am I? I – I don't know where I am. It's dark, Bracken. So dark. Dark and cold. I didn't know it could be dark. I thought – I thought I was always going to be in the light. It's so dark. I don't know. You said you'd come for me. I wish I knew where I was. I'm all alone. A damsel in distress. You're my knight in shining armor. But where are you? I'm afraid. I miss you, Bracken. I'm waiting for you._

* * *

All of the sudden, Bracken shoots to his feet with a clatter. The sofa springs squeal at their sudden release. His pale appearance is bright against the creamy walls and vintage furniture in the TV room.

Seth jumps in surprise. The Fairy Prince had kind of been collapsed on the couch, not saying much, anguished eyes a million miles away. But now he's up, and those eyes are shining with hope.

"Oh my god," the unicorn whispers, his face a mask of wonder. "Kendra. I can hear her."

"Now, how creepy is that?" snaps Mom in what would've been a stunned silence. Her green eyes roll like a mad wolf's. "He's just oozing shadiness!"

"Mom," mutters Seth quietly with a scarlet blush, "just leave the room. Let Bracken talk."

"I can hear her," he babbles onward. The unicorn curls his hands into fists, and then releases the tension repeatedly. "She… oh my god. I love her so much. She's breaking through all the protection spells on her end, literally snapping them to her will. I can hear her. And feel her. She's alive. She's okay. A bit bruised and cold, but okay."

"That's great news!" exclaims Seth, eyes shining. Hope flares in his chest. "If you have contact with your horn, can you get her to tell us where she is? Maybe comfort her? Kendra's probably panicking…"

The unicorn nods erratically, and scrunches his brow. Slowly, Bracken's triumphant expression crumbles into one of miserable exhaustion. He narrows his eyes and focuses. Seth frowns as the unicorn stands there for a moment, scarcely breathing. Finally, Bracken begins panting. His eyes are bewilderedly agonized.

"I can't get through," he whispers, shaking his head. The tall guy looks genuinely baffled. "How—? Kendra… she's fairykind. An untrained fairykind, at that. How could she breach the barriers? I – I don't – I can't –"

"Huh?" wonders Warren, sticking his head into the beige TV room. "Why did you send Seth's mom in here with me? I don't want her…"

"Kendra's just contacted Bracken through the horn," explains Seth breathlessly. "But – I don't know, he can't get through or something."

"I can't get through," repeats Bracken, nodding. His pale grey eyes seem to get older than Seth's ever seen them, like he'd just aged a few millennium in a matter of seconds. "Somehow, Kendra just batted away hexes and jinxes beyond my comprehension to speak to me. It must be one of her emerging abilities. However, I don't have a clue what she did – whether it be self-conscious or not – and therefore, I can't contact her back. She doesn't even know I can heel her." The agony on his face grows, drawing worry lines onto his handsome face.

"You can't get through?" questions Warren curiously, striding in the room and scratching his head. "I mean, it's your horn; isn't that supposed to be your specialty?"

Bracken collapses back on the couch. "Yes. Yes, it is. But – no."

Instantly, Seth feels sorry for the unicorn. I mean, he's no expert on unicorn biology, but when Bracken says "mate for life", he's pretty sure he means mate for _life_. None of the silly dabbling and dating that humans go through. It has to be hard for the Fairy Prince. Seth knows that he loves Kendra, a lot more than he's previously thought possible to love – well, anyone.

"Hey, man, we'll work on this, okay?" encourages Seth, cuffing Bracken on the shoulder. "We'll research and all of that stuff. Don't worry. Kendra's going to be back soon."

His eyelids peel apart to reveal anguished silvery blue eyes. "She's in my mind, Seth," he rasps. "She's alone. She's stuck in a dank cell, not even the size of a closest. She's cold. She's in the dark. And she's scared. She went to me for comfort, whether she can hear me or not. And… My god, Seth. She's so scared. She's talking." He shakes his head. "This is going to drive me insane. I can't – she's so scared…"

Seth's eyes narrow, and his heart breaks a little at the picture of his sister. He can just see her in his mind, curled up in a ball in the corner of a prison cell alone in the dark, clutching Bracken's horn like a lifeboat. He can envision the shivers racking her body as she huddles, glancing around in the darkness with fear. It sends a shudder through him.

"Maybe you can hone in on where your horn is," suggests Warren. He shrugs. "I don't know how that stuff works, but could you maybe give us a location we could follow."

Bracken makes a "I dunno" sign with his hands. "Not really. I mean, I can tell when I'm close to it. But that'd be a hell of a game of Hot-and-Cold."

"It'd be a place to start, if we have no other option," enthuses Seth. "We could wander the wilderness and, like, totally search for Kendra. I can just picture us battling our way through the Amazon, with Bracken braiding leaves in his hair while we get attacked by land-piranhas."

Both of them turn to stare at Seth. Neither of his friends have expressions; they're both just so blown away by his proposal that they can't muster the strength to do anything but blank faces, obviously. He grins with all his teeth like Chaos does, and beams wolfishly at the two guys.

Bracken cocks an eyebrow. "Maybe as a last resort… maybe." He rocks himself to his feet, a new ferocity shining in his eyes. Seth likes to believe he inspired that ferocity. Bracken's hand rests on the other pearly white horn. "For the time being, however, I'll rely on my plan."

"Your plan?" calls Seth after Bracken's retreating form. The unicorn proudly stalks to the halls like the honorable prince he is. For a split second, Seth can totally picture Bracken charging in and saving the day. Even Mom watches him with grudging adoration as he strides up to the front door.

Laying one hand on the handle, Bracken turns back with a mischievous smile. "I'm going to someone who can figure this out; and no one – repeat,_ no one_ – knows magic better than my parents."

* * *

Chaos spits a glob of bitter blood from his mouth. It sails a good ten feet before it hits the ground, staining the grey floor red. He chuckles, a pathetic gravelly sound, even to his own ears. "Sweet!" he croaks with a pain-mangled voice. "New record!"

This, of course, brings another savage blow to his head. Chaos skitters along the floor, sliding with the force of the kick into a nearby wall. He snarls to himself. Everything hurts, burning with agony. The wounds that'd scabbed from yesterday's torture session spill fresh blood over his fur again. It seems that every inch of his is bruised. Anything hurts, even just laying down. One of his ears is so bloodied that Chaos can't hear anything but muffles from it. On the same side of his face, the eye is swollen to just a sliver of sight from the same blow that'd injured his ear. With a burst of dwindling energy, Chaos hobbles to his feet, muscles quivering. He leans on the wall instead of his broken hind paw, and growls threateningly at the figure outlined by the amber lamplight.

"Ah, Chaos!" the voice laughs in a singsong tone of voice. "The legends always said you had an acid tongue. Such fire! I must admit, Chaos, you are quite a formidable foe. But even the most powerful of them all crack eventually."

Chaos nods, his bones scraping against each other. "True. But you'll be dead before then. Because people only live forever."

Another lightning fast kick to Chaos's side concaves his ribs. Stifling a screech, Chaos falls to the ground. Fire flares in his body. Breath coming out in rabid pants, Chaos sinks his teeth into the man's leg nearest to his slender fangs. Howling in pain, he kicks off Chaos with another barbaric blow to the head.

The taste of the man's borrowed blood taints Chaos's mouth, intermingling with his own, but Chaoes doesn't care. Gingerly, he sets his head on the cold floor. It's so soothing, the coolness of the stone beneath his head. The chill massages over his wounds and drives away the fire engulfing his consciousness.

Another man, one of those idiotic human pets, bursts in through the only entrance. The iron door clangs against the cauldron-black stone walls, causing a nails-on-chalkboard reaction in Chaos. He flinches against the stone. The man flies in, his brown skin reflecting the orange light.

Chaos's torturer swirls around with an animal hiss. His fist connects to the man's cheek, sending him sprawling over the floor. The torturer balls his fist and stalks towards over to his inferior. With a savage movement, he clutches the front of the man's shirt and drags him to his feet, just to smash him into the wall again.

"I told you not to disturb me!" he snarls horribly. The man quivers with fear, grabbing at his throat and trying to free himself. And the torturer is a frightening sight indeed; his eyes blaze like two golden fireballs, and his muscles tremble with anger.

"I feel your pain," croaks Chaos with difficulty. The golden-eyed torturer whips around and bares his fangs at Chaos. He shrugs apologetically, jarring a shoulder wound. "I'll shut up. Continue, please. I love watching you beat up your loyal assistants. Much better than Comcast. You should get Comcast. Don't fall into a dinner party."

"What—" The torturer shakes his head, apparently giving up on Chaos. Chaos grins ruthlessly at the man who's pinned in the wall as the torturer turn back to him. Maybe he can scare the inferior enough to make a getaway…

"I'll deal with him later," the torturer snarls. "You'd better have a good reason to interrupt me."

"The girl," the man chokes out. "Green returned with the girl. She's – she's in her cell. You said you wanted to be alerted as soon as possible, sir. Green insisted upon it."

"Foolish boy," growls the torturer, throwing the poor ma against the wall in disgust. He gasps and clutches his throat. The torturer's eyes blaze and he gestures dismissively to Chaos. "Come with me, and flag someone down to take care of this imbecile. We simply _must_ make our guest at home."

* * *

Kendra hisses as one of these creepy servant ladies poke her in the ribs. In all honesty, she's glad that they're the ones making her get in this dress instead of the buff armymen that'd towed her into this room. They'd been so coarse and so uncaring, with their raucous laughter and shoving movements. They'd taunted her about how the master – whoever that is – likes them young.

But these ladies, they're nice, even if they're scary. Their eyes bug out from their heads, yellow around the edges instead of white. Dressed in long torn gowns and bonnets covering their dirty white hair, most of their wrinkled skin. They babble things about a kind master, a good master. Their saggy eyes light up whenever they speak about this master bloke, but whenever Kendra asks about him, they simply say, "You'll find out, lucky child! Chosen of the master, lucky girl! Lucky girl, lucky girl!"

She eyes Bracken's horn, sitting on the rusty vanity table, and considers making a lunge for it. But then one of the old grandmothers block her path, dabbing on a bit of lipstick.

"Why are you dressing me up?" asks Kendra, getting suspicious. Maybe sacrifice? A fairykind is good sacrifice for some religions, right? It really doesn't sound very good. "And why do I look like a Chinese maiden from the fifth century?"

"Seventh century, darling," squawks the chattiest old ladies in her chirpy old voice. "And it was the master's favorite age. Everything here is Asian themed. The master feels less lonely that way. Remembering when he wasn't alone. Poor master."

Kendra glances down in what they're prepping her up in. The flowing scarlet robes have a sort of oriental pattern stitched on, lined with golden hems. Underneath the robe, they'd forced her into a skin-tight topaz slip. They're bound together by long golden strings at her waist, and prettied up with golden earrings and a long necklace. Her long robe sleeves are positively annoying. They swish and sway with every slightest motion.

"Perfect!" crows another old crone. "She's ready! The child is ready!" She claps her hands together with wet smacks, and the others copy her with blank eyes. "Oh, the master will be proud!"

"The master," chorus the ladies around Kendra. "The master, the master, the master!"

"Come now, child," ushers the chatty lady. She pushes Kendra towards the moldy wooden door, her scaly hand rotating around the knob. Kendra digs her heels in the stone floor, but, in the end the disgusting feel of their clammy hands nudging her forward gets Kendra walking. The robes swirl around her feet.

The hallway, Kendra thinks to herself, is like Hogwarts, if Dumbledore was on crack. It's painted with dark murals and PRAISE THE MASTER graffiti. Black and gold flags hang from the ceiling, portraying either a star in the center of a circle or two comets circling each other. The floor is covered by a spongy dull gold carpet that Kendra always sinks in, despite her best intentions.

Giving one last wistful glance at the unicorn horn lying on the table, Kendra takes off over the soft carpet. Her crimson flats make no noise over the fabric. That must be why they have this stuff; combat boots would make a lot of ruckus pounding over stone. Kendra's halfway tempted just to hike us her dress so she won't trip over the satiny material, but, remembering the look in the soldiers' eyes as they'd taken her to the servant's dress up game, she decides against it. This place is obviously very sexist; she should try to appear as modest as possible, in fear of something a bit worse than a flogging.

Kendra tries to memorize the twists and turns of the labyrinth in the earth, but she quickly loses her way hopelessly. The grandmothers seem to know their way around, not even pausing at intersections. They hustle past and elbow her onward. Kendra walks until her feet hurt.

Finally, they arrive at a new door with a swiftly steeped incline leading up to it. Fear creeps into Kendra's stomach as they push her up it. Her feet slip on the carpet as it gets slicker and slicker with the raise. The door itself is a master of craftsman ship: with gleaming mahogany wood gilded with spiraling metal leaf engravings, Kendra can't help but admire that. Through the perfectly sculpted keyhole, light filters through.

It's just slightly ajar, allowing one of the grannies to hook her fingers around the edge and tug it open. Kendra blinks, light pouring into the dark room too bright for her to see what lies beyond the doorway.

"Go," instructs the chatty one, shoving Kendra forward. "The master waits for you by the koi pond. He is not patient with newcomers, so put some pep in your step. And, dearie, stay on the path."

Then, with one last shove to push her into the outside world, the maids clang the wooden door shut behind Kendra.

At first, Kendra throws herself against the door in desperation. The sunlight burns against her arm where her skin touches the gold leaf design, and she recoils. Still facing the door, Kendra tries to stomach her fear and quit quaking. She swallows and closes her eyes, refusing to tear up even the slightest bit.

_Think of Bracken. Think of how happy and sappy he'll be when he finds you. C'mon, Kendra, pull yourself together._

Kendra squares her shoulders. With one hand, she smoothes back her hair and with the other she straightens the ties at her waist. Trying to keep her lip from trembling, she holds her chin high and turns around in a twirl of robes.

Kendra gasps.

Sparkling ponds line either side of the orderly grey path, glimmering and sparkling in the sunlight. To her left, thousands of beautiful pink cherry blossoms bloom and flourish, hanging over the lake with unequivocal grace and stillness. Fallen flowers float on the surface of the dark water. Red benches line the shore with the twisting tree towering high above. Hidden by the mass of pink is a crimson gazebo in the distance, visible overtop the trees only at Kendra's height. The path splits up ahead, and the left trail most likely leads to the gazebo. To Kendra's right, more impressive sights make her gasp. The water blackened by the murkiness is swimming with colorful koi fish, all bigger than Kendra. On this side, stone sculptures rise from the ground with a Chinese look about them. Red maple trees send their bright leaves cascading to the ground in beautiful spirals, hitting the surface of the lake with waves of ripples. Bridges cross over it at times, and stepping stones lead from one end of the lake to the other. There's a giant shade sort of thing with a golden roof leaning over the pond about half a football field away. When Kendra squints, she can just make out a figure leaning against the rail, hidden by the folds of darkness.

Kendra breathes in sharply. The air smells like spices and cherry blossoms. Looking down the grey brick road, she makes her decision. With proud strides, Kendra walks forward. The wind fondles her hair and the sunlight seems to smile down at her. On and on she goes, only tripping once, until she reaches the intersection. In the middle of the little combining of the roads, a giant statue of a dragon carved from ruby glares down at her, egging Kendra into a decision. After a brief hesitation, Kendra heads down the right road. Her back prickles, as if the dragon's stone eyes are still following her as she hurries down the forested path.

In all honesty, this is quite easily the most beautiful place she's ever been to. As Kendra continues down the path, firebirds about the size of macaws begin to flutter through the forest of sable and scarlet. They belch fire at one another and snuggle. Everywhere, gorgeous water flows from artful fountains. The woods are alive and breathing their cinnamon and ginger breath into her at every moment.

But Kendra would've traded this entire estate just to be safely back in Bracken's arms.

Finally, after what seems hours of long and boring walking, something rises in the distance. A gold roof. Kendra walks a bit faster, ignoring her aching feet. Slowly, the metallic shine grows brighter with every passing step, until, at last, Kendra rounds the bend.

It's almost ridiculously dark underneath the shade. Kendra has to squint to identify the figure standing on the railing overhanging the edge. He's got an old, crumpled up bag of bread in his hand, proof that he'd been feeding his precious fishies before Kendra had ambled up.

Kendra stands there awkwardly for a moment. The wind pools around her hair, almost like an encouragement. Swallowing, Kendra glides forward to the edge of the shadow and addresses the man. "I guess your name isn't really master."

His head twitches, but he doesn't turn around. That head moves in the darkness, cocking it towards her, but otherwise, the man doesn't move. "No. That is not my name."

Kendra cocks an eyebrow at his deep, resonating voice. "So, what is it? If you don't give me an answer, I'm just calling you Shady from now on."

Kendra can't tell, but his lips might twitch into the ghost of a smile. "Fiery, I see. That will change. My name is Jadium."

Kendra snorts. "Well, that's a hell of a name. Your parents must've been like, 'Aw, this baby is so damn creepy and demonic… Jadium is a perfect name!'" She shakes her head. "You're crazy."

"So quick to judge?" Kendra swears his teeth flash white as he turns to face her. The darkness is still so potent that Kendra can't even make his face out from the rest of his body, but she's certain she saw him smile. "Step into the shadows, my dear, and take a second look."

Kendra edges away nervously. "No thanks."

Another flash of a smile. "How I miss the sunlight," he sighs. "It was warm, I think. Now it's too warm."

Kendra frowns, lingering on the edge of the shadow. "Huh?"

Suddenly, a face appears in the dark. It's a gorgeous face, no doubt; even Bracken would have competition. But it's also horrible. The man's cheekbones turn her blood to ice, and his full lips make her want to tremble all over again. But his eyes... Those awful eyes… Like a cat's… Golden but with slits, like a snake…

"Come into the shadows, my dear," he purrs, catching her arm in his frosty grip. He smiles, showing long fangs instead of canines. "Come into the shadows." And then Jadium wrenches Kendra underneath the shade, drenching the fairykind in darkness.

Kendra screams as Jadium hisses ferally.

* * *

Bracken closes his eyes, kneeling before the Fairy Shrine. He pours all his energy, all his emotions and desperation and blame and memories and everything Bracken has into the statue, modeling it into a plea. A tear slips down his face involuntarily as he slips his heart to the consciousness hovering in the area, and his muscles shake with misery. "Mother, Father," he whispers to the shrine. "Please, help Kendra. Save my queen."

And the Fairy Rulers answer him.

* * *

**So, we're starting to get a picture of who this master guy really is. I don't know about you, but, so far, I'm not really liking him. Call me crazy. **

**Anyway, Kendra is in prison, Bracken's trying his darned hardest to get her out, and Chaos is being tortured. Keep in mind that Kendra and Chaos have NO CLUE that the other is there in the first place. All Chaos picked up was bits and pieces. Sure, the King of Shadows is clever, but is he clever enough to save them both?**

**POLL: What do you guys think about the villain now? How do you describe him?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	8. Chapter 7

**Okay! Hey guys! How are you?**

**Now, let's talk briefly about last week's reviews: THEY WERE AWESOME. Great length, great detail, great criticism. I LOVED THEM. IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO READ IT ALL. **

**Also: I'm still toying with the idea, but I may end up writing a Fablehaven/Twilight short story crossover in which Chaos ambles up to Edward and Bella. You can only imagine how this will go. I'm still playing with it, but I think it has potential. What do you think?**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_Seth_, calls a ghostly voice. Seth whips around, glaring at the black fog suspiciously. He's pretty sure he's dreaming, because… well, it feels like a dream. _Seth_, calls the voice in the fog again.

"Spit it out," shouts Seth at the mist. "What do you want already?"

_You really should have more patience, Little Wolf._

Seth gasps, stumbling backwards. The voice suddenly had become familiar and disdainful. It still echoes with clarity around the mist, the gruff voice pealing like a chorus of scorn. Only one person, one wolf in the world calls Seth Little Wolf, only one big puppy…

Two purple eyes snap open from amidst the fog, glowing like night-lights. _Little Wolf._

"Chaos?" gasps Seth, eyes widening. He takes a step forward, but the entire dream seems to retreat. Chaos remains the same distance away as he had before Seth had taken a step. "How – how are you here? I'm dreaming, right? How are you in my dream?"

_Newbs,_ scoffs Chaos from the mist. Seth grins, recognizing his mentor's acidic tones. _Always so many questions. Haven't you ever heard about purple eyes, boy? Because I have purple eyes and am a member of the royal family and such, I can Dream-Walk. Comes in handy. But we didn't meet here to discuss my oddities._

"What? Then why are you here?"

_Again with the questions._ The eyes in the black mist look like they're shaking their head. But then his voice turns urgent, and those purple eyes brighten with focus. _Seth, where is your sister? Is she alright?_

That feels like a slap in the face. Seth blinks tears out of his eyes, and grinds his teeth. "No," he growls. "Kendra – Kendra went missing."

_Details,_ insists Chaos.

"Kendra was driving to school when she got ambushed by someone – Matthew Green, according to Bracken through his horn. They were working for some society that she doesn't really understand. He had a giant cat with him, like, a Baloney or something. He kidnapped her and took her away in a sleek chopper. We don't know where Kendra is now. Why? Do you?"

A growl settles in Chaos's throat, ringing throughout the fog. _I do not like this. I do not like this one bit._

Seth's interest grows. "Do you know where she is?"

_Pray that I am wrong, but I believe she is being held in the same prison system as I. Apparently, you've forgotten that I'm also missing. Thank you, Seth. But pray with all your heart and soul that I'm mistaken. This is not a place that bodes well for a female, especially one as pretty as Kendra. _

Seth's heart pounds. "Black banners," he recites. "Bug-eyed maids. Soldiers. Cold, dank cells. Sound familiar."

Chaos is quiet for a moment. _Poor, poor girl._

"Where are you?" demands Seth, eyes narrowing. "We can find you, I swear to it. We will. I'll get Kendra and you out of there. Where are you? Where is she?"

_I do not know. _The purple eyes splutter._ But, as this will be the last time I will be able to contact you with my fading strength, I will include all I know about this dreadful place. The cells are fit to hold wolves, the size of a closet. Well, not my cell. My cell is practically a dog crate. Once every two days, we are dished a ration of about a dinner-sized meal. And I'm a wolf; I eat more. There's a torture room, one that's inescapable. Eventually, all the other tunnels lead there. Like Rome. Along the ceiling, where no one can see them, the Bakeneko guardians creeps around. Be careful; each of those fangs are loaded with powerful poison. Three times a day, these buffoons run laps of the prison grounds. Not sure why. _

"Anything else?" cries Seth as the eyes of the wolf grow dim and distant. The fog retreats slowly, fading the distance and leaving behind a plain white background. "Chaos! Anything?"

"Beware of the Master," calls Chaos as he sinks into the gloom. "He's a –" Chaos then says something a bit like "barbed wire".

* * *

_Kendra has been captured?_ exclaims Bracken's mother worriedly. _This is catastrophic! What do you know?_

_Kendra was the short one, right?_ wonders the Fairy King aloud. _The one with the brown hair?_

The Fairy Queen does the spiritual equivalent of a sigh. _Just… go away. Kendra is my handmaiden, and this is my shrine. Please, just go back to your three-by-three rubix cube I gave you yesterday. You haven't figured it out yet, have you?_

_No._ Bracken's father's voice sounds intrigued. _It's quite a puzzle. I'll get started on it right away. _The Fairy King's presence departs with a smell like the first few drops of rain and a soft rush of wind. Bracken's mother is evidently amused by her husband's childish delight in simple everyday objects.

_I sent out one of my fairies to the Dollar Tree._ Her giddy amusement is colored with love. _They picked up a bag of cheap toys and party tricks for toddlers. I plan to give them to him when he's being a good boy. I can't wait until the Chinese handcuffs. _

"That's cruel," chides Bracken, hoping she'll get his anxiousness and eagerness to move onto Kendra. "You really shouldn't do that."

_I shouldn't,_ she agrees. _But let us focus once more. Where was the last place you saw Kendra? Exactly?_

Dismay settles in Bracken's stomach. "Can't you locate her? I thought you always had a lock on her placement."

Regret rolls from the Fairy Queen's presence. _Unfortunately, there's been a lot going on. I was relying on you to keep an eye on her during your stay to amend the boy's injury. I lost contact with her the moment she was airlifted by the aeroplane. _

"Nothing?" whispers Bracken. He shakes his head wearily. "Mother, it's been over an hour since I first lost contact with Kendra. I know from experience that you can inflict plenty of damage in an hour. Isn't there anything we can do to… I don't know, track her down."

_Every able-bodied creature of light will be fanned out across the earth searching for her. I cannot offer anymore, as much as it pains me._

"Can you…" Bracken's mind scrambles. "Can you open up the connection to my first horn, so I can console Kendra? She's… she's been feeling panicked, and she looks to me for guidance. I can't respond to her heartbroken pleas, and it's…" His voice cracks. "She's so scared."

Pity floods over Bracken, tailed by love and determination and just the slightest hint of regret. _Unfortunately, Bracken, the magic placed upon your horn is alien to me, as well as the path Kendra used to accessing you. Even if I knew of a way, there is a great chance that only you would be able to release your horn. _Borrowed courage warms Bracken's heart. He straightens and squares his shoulders, allowing the fragrant breeze to fill his lungs. _Take heart, my son; Kendra is a strong young woman. She can handle being by herself until we find her. _

Bracken closes his eyes, and focuses on the inhale and exhale. The air smells like magic and all its multiple scents. The misty air burns his lungs, but Bracken ignores it and allows the breath of the forest to overtake him. He expresses his pain to no one in particular, ignoring his mother's audience, and just screams mentally. His hands brush the wet earth in despair, and the moistness from the cold, soggy earth dampens his knees. Bracken's brow scrunches, and he feels one macho tear slip down his face.

"I don't know what to do," he whispers. "I don't know what to do."

That's when another consciousness invades the Fairy Queen's sacred lands.

It's older than the Fairy Queen, if not chronologically then intellectually. Thousands upon thousands of millennia pour into Bracken's mind. The presence tastes of spices from a familiar kitchen and smells like home to Bracken. It carries with it sadness but so much love. So very much love. Just for a second, two orbs of light blink: one gold, the other blue.

_Cadeliah_, whispers the Fairy Queen in amazement.

Cadeliah's voice is different than his mother's had been. The Fairy Queen's voice is deep and woven with magic. Cadeliah's voice sounds as if she's simply speaking, having a normal conversation. As if she had never died on the rocky outcropping to save their lives, as if she still chuckled with her pups and howled every night at the moon.

_Bracken._ The eyes appear again, just for a second. _Remember what I told you, up on the mountain? Remember that? I said, "Things are about to happen, poor child; and you will believe them to be all your own fault. It is in your nature." Then I went on about some other dramatic stuff, I forget, honestly, but then I said: "It isn't your fault." In order to remember me you must also remember what I have told you in times past. And I have only three words for you: Pearl and Diamond. It'll make sense later._

Just like that, as if someone had turned off a magnificent chandelier, Cadeliah's presence is gone.

_That just went down,_ whispers Bracken's father.

* * *

As soon as Bracken steps onto the bank of the island, he's bombarded with the messages that'd been held from his mind on the shrine's ground.

_Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken Bracken…._

"My god, Seth," yelps Bracken. "What is it?"

_Bracken! Yay! You're answering again! Look, I nodded off, and there was this dream thingy with a bunch of black smoke and standing in the black smoke… actually, I don't know if he was standing or floating or if he was the black smoke, but…_

_Focus,_ reminds Bracken, his brow scrunching at Seth's queer tone and emotion. He takes a few more steps from the edge of the water, not fully trusting the naiads in this particular lake from Kendra's colorful stories. _Take it from the top, and slowly. _

_Right._ Seth swallows. _See, I nodded off because of the stress and stuff. And – well, basically, Chaos visited me in my sleep. _Bracken's interest spikes. _At first, there was just a bunch of black fog stuff, swirling around. I'm not sure if he was in the fog or whatever, but his voice would come from everywhere. Like, _everywhere_ everywhere. Two purple eyes lit up, and he began to talk. He asked me all urgently where Kendra was, and then acted strange when I told him she'd been captured. He began mumbling to himself about the poor girl, about how this is no place for pretty women and such. I asked him what he meant, and he said that Kendra's in the same place he is, probably abducted by the same people. He said that he doesn't know where it is specifically, but he spat out a bunch of random figures before he disappeared back into the fog and I woke up. _

Bracken's heart races inside his chest. In his excitement, he pounds ahead with more gusto, beginning to cleave through the trees. A smile touches his lips. God bless Chaos. _Give me these random figures. _

_Oh, um, okay._ Bracken gets the idea that Seth's concentrating. _Well, he said word-for-word: "The cells are fit to hold wolves, the size of a closet. Well, not my cell. My cell is practically a dog crate. Once every two days, we are dished a ration of about a dinner-sized meal. And I'm a wolf; I eat more. There's a torture room, one that's inescapable. Eventually, all the other tunnels lead there. Like Rome. Along the ceiling, where no one can see them, the Bakeneko guardians creeps around. Be careful; each of those fangs are loaded with powerful poison. Three times a day, these buffoons run laps of the prison grounds. Not sure why." Then he said something about barbed wire that I didn't catch. _

"Barbed wire?" Bracken repeats to himself, stopping dead and frowning. "Why on earth… ah, well." _I'll be over as soon as I can, Seth._

_I'll be waiting._

* * *

The man shoves Kendra roughly back inside her cell. She hits the ground on all fours, cracking her knees painfully against the floor. Pain shoots up her injured left arm, and she instantly cradles it to her chest. Biting her lip, Kendra shifts her weight and lands hard on her back as the stone door swings closed. With a guffaw, seconds before shutting the door, he chucks a long cylinder in after her. Kendra's heart leaps into her throat as she hears the porcelain clatter of Bracken's horn smashing against the back wall and rolling off somewhere into the dark.

Gulping in breath like a fish out of water, Kendra suffers to her feet. On wobbly legs, she stumbles over to the place she'd last heard the horn. Her right arm sways out ahead of her, hitting the cool rock wall once, while her left arm is still clutched to her chest. The warm red blood trickling down her wrist begins to spread onto her raggedy shirt with a sickening sensation. Sliding along the wall and groping with her right hand, Kendra's fingers curl around his horn.

Thank goodness. She strokes it, checking for any noticeable damage. He seems to be okay.

Kendra clamps her teeth together. She slams her head back against the wall, relishing the feeling of extra pain. Tears prickle underneath her lids, so Kendra doesn't dare open them. A lump builds in her throat. Kendra wants to cry, so badly. She wants to throw herself down and sob. She wants to curl up in a ball and sleep eternity away.

But that's what Jadium would want. So Kendra can't so that.

Instead, Kendra settles for talking to Bracken's horn. She knows he can't hear her. That would be amazing if he could, but, apparently, he can't. But that's alright. She draws comfort from his very presence, and, if she talks to the horn, sometimes she can picture sitting in that kitchen bickering about pop tarts. Pop tarts, of all things!

"He hurts me, Bracken," Kendra whispers from a taunt throat. "The man with the golden eyes. He acts like he's a god. More like a demon. Like the devil. With those fangs, he might as well be. I don't know what he wants. Submission, maybe. But he gets into my mind, and I –" Kendra releases a shuddering breath. A single tear slips down her cheek. "He promised me he wouldn't stop. Not until I gave him what he wanted. He said _every day_, Bracken. How am I going to put up against that? I'm pretty sure he broke my arm today. What if he breaks my other one tomorrow? What if he breaks it again in a different place? I don't know, Bracken…"

Kendra slams her head back against the wall. And that's when something amazing happens.

The horn in her hand glows. Kendra's eyes snap open. Her mouth drops at the ivory luminescence. Underneath her fingers, the pearly surface seems warmer than usual. Lifting it up to her eyes, Kendra inspects the beautiful grooves running along the surface. But the unicorn horn has a mind of its own, literally. A burst of energy gets shocked into her veins. Kendra cries out at the heat travelling through her blood, but doesn't care drop Bracken's precious horn.

Fascinated, Kendra watches as the light slowly cobwebs through her blood, the glow fading after a few seconds. In its wake, the glow heals her skin and renews her strength. Kendra gasps with exuberant pain as the heat passes over her heart. For a few moment, another heartbeat melds to hers. And then the glow moves on, creeping down her left arm. Kendra watches as the bones knit themselves back together and meditate her pains.

A tear slips down Kendra's face as the glow finally leaves her system, and the horn shuts off. She curls around it, cradling him to her chest, and kissing it twice. "My unicorn," Kendra sighs, right before she falls asleep.

* * *

"She's healed," informs Bracken quietly. "Apparently, I can still heal through my horn. That's good. That's good."

Seth's anxiety gets the best of him. He leans forward apprehensively. "What did she mean, the man the golden eyes? God dammit, why can't she be more specific? Why did he hurt her? And, most importantly, why am I shouting?"

"I dunno," grunts Warren. "But I'll do my research." He whips out a silver laptop and opens it up, drumming his fingers impatiently across the touchpad as it starts up slowly. "A little known fact is that there are websites for the people that know about the magic world. Like, where we can share information. I'll look him up."

"Good," sighs Bracken. Leaving the house, he'd looked so confident and ready to bust monster heads. But now, he looks even more tired and beaten than he had before. Those shadows underneath his eyes can't possibly be good. His eyes are filled with pain. "She's talking to me now, you know," he remarks randomly. "She's always talking to me. Things like, 'It's so dark and cold. Why is it dark? Shouldn't I be able to see in the dark?' Also, things like, 'I thought you said you were coming for me, Bracken. Where are you? I'm scared. He's going to come for me'."

Pity pulses through Seth. So that's why he looks so depressed. It's bad enough hearing about Kendra's agony; Seth can't imagine having his heartbroken sister in his head talking about how he'd told her he would come. No wonder Bracken looks so weary. If Kendra had any idea what she was doing to him, she'd probably stop.

Warren's fingers freeze over the keyboard. "Aie… Sorry, man. We're doing everything we can." Quicker than Seth believes is humanly possible, Warren's fingers fly over the computer keys, clacking them all with a random, driving beat that pounds with each one. He pauses to use the touchpad to select something, and then begins drumming over the letters and numbers again.

"Picking up anything?" asks Seth, craning his neck over Warren's shoulder.

"I guess so." Warren looks up at Seth, his eyes grim. "There's about three thousand results to sift through of magical creatures with golden eyes. I'll need some time. Bracken, if Kendra gives you any more description on this guy, let me know, okay?"

Bracken nods. "I won't hold anything back."

A knock at the door sounds, powerful and booming. Warren's finger's pause over the keyboard. Bracken's eyes snap open. He straightens and turns in the general direction of the front door, nostrils flaring. For a second, nothing happens. Seth holds his breath. The knocking comes again, louder and more impatient this time.

He turns to the other men. "Should I answer it?"

The knocker begins playing "Happy Birthday" on the doorbell.

Bracken frowns uneasily. "I think you must. He seems persistent."

Cautiously, Seth creeps out of the doorway. He stalks up to the door, his feet silenced by the cream-colored rug beneath his feet. The hazy glass distorts everything but an indefinite figure outside the window. As cautiously as possible, Seth lays a hand on the handle.

Hesitantly, Seth turns around to look back. Bracken's standing in the doorway like some sort of guardian, his silvery blue eyes burning protectively. He gestures Seth onward with a waving motion. Taking in a deep breath, Seth swings open the door, and finds himself face to face with…

A boy.

Like, a kid his age, maybe a year or two older. Like, seventeen. The boy has red skin, like a sunburned Native American. His features are strong and dark, with a long, hook-like nose and beady black eyes set far into his face. The sharp angle of his jawline makes the boy's face seem almost square. A dark cloak almost identical to Chaos's hides most of his other features, but Seth can tell by his broad shoulders that this guy's a warrior. With the hood thrown back, Seth can see his curling black hair. A topaz charm depicting a new moon clasps his shadowy cloak together.

Seth's jaw drops. He opens the door a bit wider to show the stranger to Bracken behind him. "Uh, who are –"

The boy looks at him almost haughtily. Those piercing black eyes bore into Seth almost dangerously. "My name is Crimson," he thrums in a deep voice that sounds like thunder about to rumble. "I represent the Brothers of the Black Moon. As I understand it, Seth Sorenson, you have recently lost a sister. Well, we've lost a grumpy old striped wolf with a Twix addiction. I believe that you and I could help each other out. Wouldn't you agree?"

* * *

Fiona's fur is rippled, and a rare breeze passes between the Soul Stone pulsing at her throat and the matted, sweaty hairs underneath. She lifts her head and breathes in deeply, taking in the crisp smell of the Himalayas. The cold snow underneath her paws numbs her feet and the bitter wind causes a layer of ice to coat her nose. She shivers, but not because of the chill.

"Something is wrong," Fiona whispers.

* * *

**SO. Seth and the BBM are hooking up together to rescue Chaos and Kendra. That should prove interesting. We didn't get a whole lot other than he likes to hurt Kendra about the bad guy in this chapter, but he's going to just stay in the shadows for a while. Poor Kendra. **

**Now, just ponder this for a second: if Chaos can get into Seth's dreams despite his confinement, what would be another wolf that might be able to reach Kendra and the King of Shadows without tipping off the enemy? If you guessed Boro, you're correct!**

**POLL: So, we've just seen one of Cadeliah's advice things carry itself out. Bracken's whole "Oh I'm blaming myself" ordeal. But, just because I'm the queen of awesome, how many other people think that those are going to start unraveling as I get more and more into this? How many people think they already have?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the wait and so on! I've had a ton of homework lately, so I'm publishing each of these chapters at like, twelve o'clock at night. Forgive my spelling. **

**Do people just skip over this?**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Chaos takes one look at the torturer, and realizes that today is not going to be a good day for him. More bruises than usual. Yippee. The guards march him in, each dragging Chaos along by heavy iron chains welded to his painful dog collar. King of Shadows, in a dog collar! Chaos, fueled by these thoughts of disrespect, flashes onto sassy gay wolf mode as Jadium turns with a malicious snarl.

"Relationship problems?" Chaos guesses. The man blinks and frowns, the very tips of his razor sharp fangs peeking between his lips. Chaos flattens his ears and nods. "Here's what you've got to do: treat her like she's the best thing since sliced bread, or, ah, sliced blood. Hold her and tell her you love her and be mushy. Oh, and here's one: don't torture her. Not a good way to start a first date."

Jadium hisses, his golden eyes reflecting the torchlight. His oozing black tongue laps at his bottom lip. The way Jadium stares at Chaos makes him already wish that he could be knocked out safely on his prison floor, breathing in dust mites. "You will feel pain," Jadium promises as the men slide the collar off of Chaos, nicking his wounded eye, perhaps on purpose.

"Have a Snickers bar, Jadium," offers Chaos. "They'll improve your attitude."

With a rabid snarl, Jadium launches himself at Chaos. The man's fingers curl into hooked claws, and his jaws contort with his rage. The soldiers hurriedly exit.

Chaos narrows his eyes and sidesteps the lunging man. Jadium crashes into the now-closed door with a sound like a dead body smashing to the ground. He bares his teeth and hisses at Chaos. With a chuckle, Chaos nimbly dances away, avoiding Jadium's seemingly clumsy swings. Finally, the man straightens and watches Chaos from the center of the room, panting for breath.

"You're fighting more than ever," he notices. "Why is that?"

Chaos's eyes narrow. Fury alights deep within himself. His lips bare into a snarl of their own, and he drops into a slink, circling the man. All of his hairs stand on end, bristling. His tail is erect and dominant. "Before, it was just about me, a lonely old codger with a sassy tongue. But then you didn't stop. Then it didn't become about me." Chaos releases another snarl. "I swear to you, Jadium, I will not stop fighting. Not after what you're doing to Kendra."

"Chaos, you little shi—" Whatever the man had been about to say, it is cut off by a particularly obnoxious spark of flame from the torches. Chaos cocks his head.

"'Chaos, you little… ship?'" he wonders aloud, knowing all too well what he'd been about to say. "Well, it's nice that you ship me. With who, dare I ask? My ship is a funny little pair. You'll look at him, and you'll go, 'Nah, that could never happen,' and then you'll look at her and you'll think, 'Them together would be a catastrophe,' but when you look at them together, you think, 'OH MY FREAKING GOD THEY ARE SO OTP I CANNOT EVEN HANDLE THE ADORBS SOMEBODY GET MY A PAPER BAG TO BREATHE IN. I CAN'T HANDLE THE ADORBS'."

"What the hell," pants Jadium.

Chaos's eyes narrow even further. His voice drops to a dangerous growl. "Do you want to know who my OTP is? Do you want to know who I ship?" Chaos's growl turns ferocious, and his eyes gleam balefully. "I ship Brackendra, you moron. Watch your back, Jadium. I swear on it, you're going to suffer for your crimes at the Fairy Prince's hand. Just you wait."

* * *

Seth follows Crimson through the dense rainforest. He bats a giant leaf out of his face, sprinkling his hair in droplets of cool water in the process. Seth flinches and backs into a moist trunk wrapped with smooth vines. Crimson sighs in exasperation and picks through the foliage elegantly, not even tripping.

Everything in the jungle is wet. That's not something you learn on Tarzan. The underbrush is so thickly covering the rich brown soil that, most of the time, Seth has no clue where his feet are. He can only pray to the dear lord that there aren't any snakes hidden underneath the billowy leaves. The flowers blooming everywhere are beautiful and unique, each bristling with poison thorns. High above his head, canopies reign, so thick that shafts of sunlight don't reach the forest floor. The trees are constantly dripping with heavy splats of water, landing on Seth's face and arms. It keeps to the constant music of creatures in the rainforest. No matter where, Seth can always hear things: a monkey baying, a lizard's slow ascent of a tree, the twittering of a parrot, the trod of a hefty animal hidden by exotic bushes, and the pittering of rain reflecting off of broad leaves.

"Just out of interest," calls Seth to Crimson, "where are you taking me?"

Crimson glances back with something remarkably akin to annoyance. The rain droplets just slide off his black cloak, leaving trails. So, the fabric must be waterproof. Which makes sense, honestly, if your base is in a jungle. Somehow, the way the mist frames his figure makes Crimson seem mysterious and deadly, like a bad guy from a fairytale. Which is probably just what he's going for.

"When compared to Chaos's luscious bragging about you, Little Wolf," he purrs in disapproval, "you are really not amounting up to much. I am taking you to the BBM headquarters, where we currently are collaborating to locate our father."

"First thing's first," shouts Seth, ducking under a dripping leaf, "I like the name BBM. It makes you sound like a wrestling league. Secondly, did you just call Chaos your father?"

Crimson halts abruptly. He straightens arrogantly, twisting around to glare at Seth. Underneath the gaze of those two coal black eyes, Seth suddenly feels very insignificant. "Hold your tongue, Little Wolf." In his mouth, the words sound like an insult, not a nickname. "It matters not that you don't know the higher levels of our craft. You do not even care for the founder. You are hopeless."

Anger sparks in Seth. As dignifiedly as possible, he wades through the greens and stands next to Crimson, still over a foot shorter. "Buddy, have you taken a look in the mirror? You might be immortal or whatever, but you're obviously not up to it. I'm cool. You're not. It doesn't matter about some old wolf."

Fire alights in Crimson's eyes. Like, literal fire. Crimson's eyeballs catch on _fire_. The black flames lick at his eyebrows and tickle his nose, long fiery tendrils lapping at his cheeks. Seth stumbles back, throwing out a hand to ward Crimson off.

"Cool?" questions Crimson icily. "I am in no way cool. How dare you, Little Wolf. Chaos would come to your aid no matter the danger, and you sit here wasting my valuable time lecturing about being _cool_. You are an insult to the Brothers of the Black Moon and all we stand for. I am finished with you. Begone."

Seth bristles. "Now, hold up just one minute. Just because I don't worship Chaos doesn't mean I don't respect him. And I am trying to give him aid or whatever. I'm just bored. You're just throwing a hissy fit." Seth wills his eyes to light on fire, but, sadly, they don't.

Crimson regards Seth impassively. After a few seconds of quiet, he says, "If you ever find need of a home, simply whistle our tune and we'll come. Congratulations."

With that, he turns back to the forest, fire-eyes extinguished and coat billowing so dramatically that Seth wonders why. There's no wind, after all.

* * *

Kendra's skin prickles as Jadium's icy breath runs down her collarbones again, creeping over her neck and falling down her chest. She flinches away as far as the iron shackles will let her, frightened by his amused chuckle emanating from the darkness.

It's so cold here. The icy air bites at her bare skin. She knows exactly where Bracken's horn is: on the moldy vanity table. At the master's orders, the servants shoved Kendra into a bikini top and an uncomfortably short slit skirt made of flimsy silk fabric. The skimpy covering does little to protect her from the bitter cold, or the agony of Jadium's torture.

Kendra shivers. She swears, Jadium seems to grin in the pitch darkness. "You're going to break," he purrs right next to her ear, "and it will be soon. No one lasts long."

Kendra swallows and shuts her eyes, retreating to her happy place. Her happy place involves sunshine and rainbows and wolves laughing and playing and Seth goofing off and her mother getting down Bracken's throat and – well, Bracken. But his taunting voice chases it off like a nightmare.

"You will be mine," he whispers, the air next to Kendra's cheekbone moving alongside his lips. "I swear to you."

Then, quick as a viper, the whip thrashes viciously across her back. Kendra arches against her restraints with the pain. A line of fire traces from her shoulder to her hip. The darkness blurs with the tears in her eyes. Kendra bites her lip, tasting blood but not fully able to contain the scream of pain.

_Bracken is coming_, she thinks to herself. _Bracken. Bracken. Bracken._

Kendra hadn't know she was saying it aloud until Jadium's voice appears next to her other ear, his tone colored with annoyance. "The unicorn. I should've guessed. The unicorn."

The obvious distaste in Jadium's voice gives Kendra courage, despite the cool air stinging against her painful wounds. "You should be running," she snarls with difficulty. "You should be running, as fast as you can, in the opposite direction. Bracken's coming for me. He'll slit your throat."

"Will he?" Jadium sounds amused. "Love. I always find it so interesting. So easy to crush. If your Bracken's coming for you, darling, where is he now? Where is your sweetheart?" When Kendra doesn't answer, Jadium's voice grows triumphant. "He doesn't have a need for a little fairykind anymore. I can't say I blame him. You've grown boring to him."

"Not Bracken," Kendra protests, barely audible.

"Really?" Kendra ignores the scorn in his voice. "Let me tell you a thing or two about immortals, Kendra. We're all the same inside. Oh, sure, he might care for you now. He'd throw his life on the line."

"So you admit he cares for me," challenges Kendra quietly.

"Beside the point." He blows a gust of icy wind onto Kendra's fiery wounds, making her flinch. "How should I put this? You and Bracken, you are like dog and owner. The owner may love the dog, love it with all their heart. They may care for the dog. They may throw themselves in front of their pets. But, in the end, that's all they are: pets. And pets die. Oh, sure, Bracken will mourn for centuries at least. But eventually, doesn't the owner get a new dog? You never see a person scarred for their entire lives because of a single pet's death. The same is with us."

Kendra doesn't even bother to respond, knowing that to do so will only result in the lash of a whip. Instead, she thinks of Bracken. His guard-dog behavior, his puppy dog eyes, his unwavering loyalty. Kendra knows with all her heart that Bracken loves her, and she'll always belong to him, but…

Maybe Jadium's right. Maybe she is a dog.

Frustrated, Kendra shakes off that thought. Acid coating her speech, Kendra spits, "I'm not mortal anymore, you dimwit. Where have you been the past decade?"

* * *

Seth glares at the dome suspiciously. The vaguely spherical structure is apparently made up of vines, without a dash of light shining through. On top of the massive dome, a single winged wolf sits. From high above, it watches them like an indifferent angel.

The dome doesn't look natural in the jungle, true, but it doesn't seem like something nightly assassins would use as a base. From what he's gathered of Crimson so far, the BBM is a tightly knit brotherhood of males that don't take to strangers kindly. It should be interesting, meeting them for the first time.

Crimson steps forward with a billow of his majestic manly cloak. The vines peel apart in front of him, twisting away like leafy snakes, creating a passageway inside. Hurriedly, Seth follows the taller man's long stride with squelching waddles, and scurries inside.

What Seth is met with is not what he'd been expecting.

From the outside, it had looked big; maybe the size of a decent house, or a bit larger. But under no circumstances had Seth expected it to be this big! As his mouth drops, Seth comes to the conclusion that the football field-sized enclosure must be some sort of special bigger-on-the-inside magic.

Hammocks and rope courses swing high above from the vines, filled with guys laughing and swinging like Georges of the Jungle. A half of the room is completely dedicated to awesome training machines with whirring saws and dangerous fires shooting out at random times. Many dudes nimbly swirl through the perilous steampunk courses, their black cloaks dancing like living shadows. The other half of the room is made up of all sorts of awesome, with video game screens the size of swimming pools and dance floors and mega speakers blasting music so loud it makes Seth's ears hurt even from a distance. Littered everywhere and lounging in every hammock are tons and tons of young shadow charmers, both wolf and human, each draped in the black cloaks. They all chatter amongst themselves and look like they're having a great time.

"Whoa!" bellows Seth over the music. He resists the urge to clasp his hands over his ears. "How did we not hear this?"

"Basic dampening spell," explains Crimson, his voice just barely getting over the pounding beat. "The boys like training with music more. Come along. You can socialize afterwards."

His dark cloak flapping behind him, Crimson ghosts over the grass fields. Seth hurries after him, eyes the size of quarters as he tries to take everything in. A lot of the dudes seem pretty interested in him, too, stopping their chatting and pausing their video games to watch him pass. Some seem skeptical, while others are reverent. A passing wolf bows his head in deep respect before sprinting out through the doorway Crimson had created with a determined look about him.

"How many people are here?" shouts Seth. "There's only so many shadow charmers, right?" Crimson glances back in amusement.

"True," he admits. "But if you join, Chaos makes us immortal. That tends to keep the numbers up. We have roughly one-hundred-fifty humans and nearly two hundred wolves enrolled in the brotherhood. Almost all the humans reside here, and about half the wolves. The BBM brings peace to our retired members, those that wish to raise a family in peace and quiet, so we've got about a dozen families staying here as well." He nods towards a cave leading underground. "Underneath here, there's more bunks for those that are scared of heights" – Crimson tips his head to the hammocks strung through the ceiling – "an armory, a lunch room, several libraries including a portal to the Library, a few cafeterias, a temple dedicated to the King of Shadows – which Chaos absolutely hates, mind you – and a council room. You, me, and a couple other senior Moons will be joining our collaboration."

Seth fidgets with his fingers as the music slowly grows more and more distant. "What are their names? The people I'll be meeting?"

Crimson smiles and looks at Seth almost with an almost brotherly affection. "Don't worry," he praises, clapping Seth roughly on the shoulder, "you'll be fine. The worst they could possibly do is say they won't help you find your sister. And, if they do, I'll assist regardless."

Seth's jaw drops as Crimson smiles at him. "Wh—"

"I'm not one for emotion," Crimson dismisses, "so you might not have noticed it, but I'm impressed by you, Seth Sorenson. I'd pick up a sword any day and fight shoulder to shoulder. If only we had more warriors like you…" He trails off, scowling at a particularly boisterous group of boys as they pass.

"Thanks." Seth's oddly touched by Crimson's approval, as if it means anything to him. "Really. Thanks."

Crimson opens his mouth to respond, but gets cut off. A wolf pup scurries up. It's got grey and white blemished fur, and an adorable smile that makes Seth want to grin along with it. With a giggle that sounds remotely male, the pup ducks underneath Crimson's cloak. Mischievously, he hides in the folds. It's not necessarily a good hiding place, but Crimson smiles and holds still as not to expose the youngling.

Another wolf, older and more lined, stalks up with a proud walk. "Hmm," he hums to himself, winking at Seth with green eyes. "I wonder where Cloudburst is…"

The wolf creeps up to the sniggering form on silent paws, that grin still pulling at the corners of his lips. Seth smiles in comprehension, realizing the relation between father and son. "Could Cloudburst be…" He trails off, cocking his head. Suddenly, the wolf jerks forward and flips up the wrong half of Crimson's cloak. "Under here?"

The pup starts backwards, almost flying out of the cloak. Then he retreats back around Crimson's legs as his father pulls back with a "Hmm" of humored confusion. Crimson stands patiently with a smile on his face, smiling at the pup in adoration and exchanging knowing glances with Papa wolf.

"Could Cloudburst be…" The older wolf flips up the right side of the cloak with his muzzle, causing the tiny pup to squeal with delight. "Under here?"

"You were so close to me!" howls Cloudburst with joy, throwing himself at his father. The dad staggered under his son's embrace, chuckling to himself and letting his kid's tongue lap at his face. "So close! I felt your breath!"

"Was I?" gasps the father in staged shock. "My word! You've got to be the best hider in the world! I tell you what, kid" – the father gazes down at his son with infinite love – "you can shade walk better than a whole bunch of adults. I can't wait to see how you mature."

"I hate that word." Cloudburst wrinkles his nose. "Uncle Chaos says I should never grow up."

The father sighs, and Seth feels the conversation take on a different note at Chaos's name. "That's because Chaos wishes he never did."

Cloudburst's eyes swim with confusion. "What do you mean? He's such a strong wolf! I wanna be just like him! Well, a bit like mum, too, because she scares everybody, and nobody's really scared of Chaos" – Seth starts in surprise at that – "but you know."

The father seems conflicted as he gazes down at his son. "Well…" Papa wolf takes a deep breath. "Chaos is a strong wolf only because he faced hell. He told you never to grow up because… well, honestly, the price of being so strong wasn't worth what he got."

Cloudburst still looks confused, but he follows his father as they walk away. Crimson smiles after them for a bit as they slowly make their way to the nursery gates. "There goes two very different wolves," he whispers to himself, "and yet, they are father and son in blood."

"What did the dude mean about Chaos?" asks Seth in curiosity. "I mean, Chaos is plenty scary. He scares me sometimes. But… 'hell and back'. Explain."

Crimson glances quizzically at Seth. His shining black eyes seem less open that before, as if his asking is rebuilding some of the respectable shadow charmer's walls. Crimson lets out a long, low sigh. "That is for Chaos to tell you," Crimson apologizes with his impassive tone of voice, "and Chaos alone."

* * *

**So, we heard a bit from Chaos and a bit more from Kendra and a lot from Seth. Bracken, apparently, does not exist right now. He got tossed through a crack in space and time or something. Poor unicorn. Poor stupid unicorn. The shadow charmer hideout is not what Seth expected, and, apparently here, they have a whole different view of Chaos. Huh.**

**POLL: Who do you think is going to rescue Kendra, Bracken or Chaos? Who do you think is going to save Chaos if you think Bracken's going to save Kendra?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	10. Chapter 9

**To Star####: I just needed a buffer between Seth's narration, don't worry, I was planning on writing about the torture anyway. I'm not a horrible writer. Just **_**bad**_**. **

**Hmmm. I should write something else here.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Warren glances in concern at Bracken. The unicorn is practically having a seizure on the couch, shivering violently and coated in sweat. His hair is wet with perspiration. Underneath their lids, Bracken's eyes roll wildly like he's having a nightmare. "Uh… you okay, man?"

"He's torturing her," Bracken gasps. "My god. He's torturing her."

* * *

At least this time, there's no handcuffs.

Kendra shivers against the wall. Her skin is sheening with sticky sweat, making her fingers clammy as they grip at the rock wall for support. She doesn't know where the next attack will come from; everything is dark. Dark and hostile. Jadium's laugh ripples through the shadows like a horror movie. In vain, Kendra tries to locate the origination. Her head whips around and her eyes strain in the infinite darkness.

Kendra leans back on the wall. From what she'd deduced so far, Jadium's torture room is vaguely circular, with rough walls and a low ceiling that seemed inadequate for the tall man. Along one wall, torture instruments rest on racks. Kendra is constantly tripping over manacles and all sorts of frightening objects.

Lashes from yesterday's whipping still are fresh on her back, and, with every time he smacks her, the wounds reopen a bit more. Kendra can feel the warm blood oozing from the cracks and staining her raggedy shirt. Well, at least this time she has a shirt.

Today, Jadium is using his own body. He punches Kendra, kicking her legs out from underneath her, throwing her, clutching her, touching her in ways that make her greatly uncomfortable, and anything else Jadium comes up with along the way.

A hand snakes around her waist, brushing against Kendra's open wounds. With a cry, Kendra feels herself being tossed in the air like a ragdoll. For a second, there's a sensation of weightlessness, and then, she crashes into the floor.

Everything hurts as she crashes against the floor, aching. Kendra doesn't bother to get up, going slack on the ground and relaxing on her cold deathbed. Blood from a past blow trickles down her forehead, a warm line tracing down her nose. The heat from her own essence sends a shiver of pleasure through Kendra. Heat. That's what she misses.

"Mortals, mortals!" chuckles Jadium from all around her. She tenses. "How easy it is to break you! You will be mine, Kendra. You will be mine, and I don't have long to wait."

"Nope," Kendra whispers under her breath. Her head begins pounding, like someone had driven a nail into her temple. The roar in her brain makes it difficult to focus on anything else.

"Oh, silly girl." Jadium's voice hovers right over her ear, causing Kendra to flinch. "You, sweetie, have more fire than most, admittedly. You're not giving in. Not yet. But you haven't been the first. Oh, there's been so many! So many little human wives, scurrying about. But they can't help me. Their children bear my curse. They cannot feel the sun's light. And the children of their children have none of my traits. My grandchildren are only good for little recovery missions, like that insufferable Matthew Green boy."

Kendra's mind wraps around that subject. She sticks it away to share with Bracken's horn. "You can't go out in sunlight?"

His lips touch to the hollow beneath Kendra's ear. Through her headache, Kendra shudders and tries to shrug him off, but one of his hands pins her to the cold floor, placing strain on her injured shoulder. "Why do you think I enjoy spending time in the garden? It is nostalgia. Our inability to stand in the daylight was the downfall of my race." His voice drops. "So that's why I start over from scratch, I why create a new genetic code. Why I have waited for so long for a girl who walks with the light to blunder into the world. You are to be the savior of my people."

"In your nightmares," snarls Kendra, slamming an elbow with the last of her strength into his muscly chest above hers. Brief jubilance floods her systems at the sound of his oof for breath.

"No," whispers Jadium, quickly recovering and scooping Kendra back up in his terrifying embrace. "In yours."

* * *

"Help me!" yelps a voice.

Seth's eyes flicker open. He frowns to himself in his grogginess, but nothing else makes a sound. The warm sheets from his cool bunk are all twisted up in his legs, and this phoenix-feather pillow is just so comfy… he begins to nod off again. The warmth overtakes him, and Seth slides back into his sleep.

"Help – help me!" insists the voice again, ringing through his room with abnormal clarity.

Seth bolts upright. His beige sheets tangle in his legs and cause his sitting motion to be jerky and clumsy. Cursing, Seth untwists and gazes around the small bunk. The sable cave walls are same as always, rough and painted with cavemen drawings of a wolf and stars. The twelve plain bunks sticking from the sides; they're not strictly bunk beds, because there's nothing supporting them but the racks stapling them to the stone walls, but there's one right above the other. Seth sits on the top of a high bunk, and the rest lay vacant. Well, all except one.

Directly across from him, sitting on the bottom bed, stands a tiny wolf pup. It's smaller than anything Seth had seen before, like the size of a poodle. Its fur is mostly a light charcoal grey, but, around his nape and crowning his ears, it brindles into bands of khaki brown. Two empty brown eyes flash with fear, and its paws skitter nervously.

"Help me!" the he-pup stammers in a desperate voice. "H-help me!"

Seth swings his legs over the side of the bunk, concern growing. Had something happened while he'd slept? The little guy looks so scared and confused, though, Seth feels like wrapping it in a big hug. "What's up, dude?"

The pup's eyes fix on him, and the chestnut brown pupils seem cloudy and unfocused. He cocks his head. "Help me!" he repeats.

"Uh, I got that." Seth frowns and leans forward, his brow scrunching in concern. "What do you need help with, bud?"

A shudder passes through the puppy's fluffy little body. "Help them!" he calls this time, shaking violently and backing up. "My sister! I can still hear her screaming! She's screaming! She was screaming! She is! She was! Save her! Save her!"

Seth blinks, taking in the pup. The more he focuses, the blurrier the little dude's features seem to grow, like he can't pinpoint it exactly. "What's your name, little guy?"

"My name?" The pup sounds confused. He shakes his head as if to clear it, and narrows his eyes, as if focusing. "_Seth_. My name is _Seth_."

A smile quirks at the corners of Seth's mouth, and he looks down at the wolf as friendlily as possible. "I like that name. My name's Seth, too. We're both Seths."

The pup giggles. "Yes, I guess we are." But then his expression turns agonized. He wails, "Help them!" and Boy-Seth sighs, starting from square one.

"Save them!" Wolf-Seth's eyes are as round as quarters. "My mum! My sisters! Save Swift-Song! She's blind, she can't see your bullets! Why are you shooting Swift-Song? I can hear her, Seth! I can hear her screaming!"

"Calm down," Seth soothes, hopping off his bunk and landing on unsteady feet. The ground is cool beneath his feet.

Wolf-Seth's lips prick in a silent snarl. "My mum, she said Daddy was going on a trip. She said Daddy would be back. Where's Daddy? Where was Daddy? He said he'd bring me back some stardust! I want my Daddy! I want my Daddy!"

The pup begins to cry. Not just tear up, but sob heartbrokenly. Tears roll down his muzzle like diamond rain, and Wolf-Seth weeps with his high little kid voice. It isn't a whiny crying or a sniveling crying, but more like a sad keening. Seth instantly moves forward to wrap the wolf in a hug before the first tear hits the ground.

Seth freezes, staring at the mist as it curls up in a spiral of beauty. Where the wolf's tear had hit the ground, a perfect splatter of red blood now sits, and it sinks into the earth, leaving a stain.

"I want my Daddy!" bawls Wolf-Seth. His eyes fix on Seth's, and they begin to glow with an unnatural light. "My Daddy! You bring me back my Daddy! You hear? Bring back my Daddy! My Daddy! My Daddy!"

Then, with a yowling howl that echoes inside of Seth's brain, the pup vanishes, dissolving into nothing more than a pile of dust that spreads in the wind.

* * *

A single tear rolls down Chaos's cheek, and he curls even tighter into himself.

* * *

_Bracken._ Kendra's voice appears in his head again, rousing him from the sleep he'd been nodding off into. With an exhausted sigh, Bracken pulls himself upright. The couch squelches in protest, and Warren glances at him disapprovingly.

"She's back," explains Bracken quietly.

The others disapprove of his lack of sleep. They don't really understand. But Kendra has been dozing off, always in a state between sleep and lucidity. And, as long as she has a streak of coherency, she can and will speak to Bracken. She's only fallen asleep once briefly, and Bracken hadn't had the time to get a bit of shuteye. Honestly, after the… what, four days of her being away? After four days of Kendra's lonely messages, Bracken's starting to become tired. Very tired. But he won't dare leave Kendra alone.

_My god, Bracken_, Kendra says, her heartbrokenness filling his chest with pain. _He's not going to stop, is he? Every day, the same thing. Except he'll find new ways to torture me. To make me hurt. I'm scared. I still don't know why it's dark. And I guess I never will._

A shiver goes down Bracken's spine, a shiver of sympathy and of defiance.

_Jadium is the sickest person I've ever met. Even sicker than the Demon King. All the Demon King wanted to do was kill me. Jadium wants to break me, he wants to destroy me, he wants to rape me, and then he wants to kill me. So far, he hasn't succeeded at anything, but… I don't know, Bracken. Please hurry…_

"I'm doing my best," Bracken whispers, closing his eyes. His chest knots hopelessly at her next few words.

_Then again, maybe you're not real._ Her misery grows._ Maybe I just made you up to console myself. Maybe I've been here centuries, and I just made up Prince Charming to dream about. _Sadness grows. _It makes sense, I guess. The Bracken I know is handsome, muscular, protective, funny, loving, charming, and a whole lot of sappy. Everything I want in a guy, all in one. It wouldn't be so silly to think that you're – he's – not real._

"Let go of the couch, man," breaks Warren's voice through Bracken's haze. Bracken looks down to see he'd been throttling the life out of the armrest. "Sorry," he apologizes lamely, releasing it and focusing on the one-sided conversation once more.

_When are they going to feed me again? Hold up, that sounds pathetic. When do they give me more slop? Better. Better, but not the best. But, seriously, how long has it been? I'd happily take some of that slop by now. Is that bath-turd trying to starve me as well? Little bath-turd… _

Bracken laughs. He can't help it. Even in a dank cell, Kendra finds a way to be just as sassy as her mother.

_I hope you're real. I pray it. But I don't think it's logical. _

Closing his eyes, Bracken sighs, his merriment fading as quickly as it'd come.

_It's so cold here, Bracken. So cold. This time, he beat me using his own strength. He punched me. He kicked me. He picked me up and snapped my collar bone with his bare hands. It hurts, Bracken. It hurts so much. I know head wounds bleed a lot, but, one time, with his boot, he kicked me in the temple. Real hard. It's bleeding a lot right now, through my fingers. I don't have a clue about what I'm doing. Should've studied more medical stuff instead of swordwork, I guess, but I suppose I just figured you would always be there._

"Dude, seriously," calls Warren's voice again, "let go of that innocent couch. I'll get you a stuffed animal or something, but don't hurt Bessie."

One of Bracken's eyelids roll open. He stares at Warren as the man rises from the armchair. "You named the couch?"

Warren sniffs, miffed. "Bessie and I go a long way back. Don't tease her."

Bracken laughs harder than he had in days.

* * *

Fiona's paws race over the snow. The flaky white powder flies out behind her in a long trail, like the wake of a comet. The Soul Stone pulses underneath her throat, and, with every stride, it digs a little deeper into her neck. Other than the uncomfortable gem, the sprint is deliciously free and wild. Fiona closes her eyes and lunges into every step, speeding blindly over the ice until her feet are sore from the ice splinters and her muscles burn with protest. And still she runs onward, flying up the mountain like a god, each paw flinging her forwards and towards her goal.

Her goal stands atop a black crag with a smile on his face. Boro lifts his muzzle and howls in greeting. The musical notes of his beautiful voice cascade up and down the scale, like an angel's song. Panting, Fiona slows to a halt in the snow. It pools around her soggy ankles, and an involuntary shiver runs down her spine.

Concern shining in his lavender eyes, Boro jumps down from the rock and touches Fiona's muzzle with his in one smooth movement. "You're cold."

Fiona snarls, despite her joy at seeing her soon-to-be mate once again. "Of course I'm cold! It's frigging freezing out here! The frigging Himalayas! You couldn't pick Cuba, could you, Boro?"

Boro rolls his eyes and presses his body heat against her shoulder. His lush golden fur sparkles in the bright sunlight, tickling her boring chocolate brown pelt. Undoubtedly, Boro is the most handsome wolf Fiona had ever stumbled across; with large expressive eyes, broad shoulders and wide paws, proud facial features, impressive muscles, and a thick metallic coat that splays like someone straight from a she-wolf's fantasy. And he's got the best of personalities: kind, gentle, protective, and kingly.

"Why do you hate everything you touch?" he wonders aloud, shaking his head as they shuffle towards the rock. "You don't like anything."

Fiona shoots him a pouty look. "I like plenty of things. Cupcakes, for one. Cupcakes are good."

Boro raises an eyebrow.

"And chicken nuggets," continues Fiona. "'xcept not McDonalds chicken nuggets, because I want _chicken_ nuggets, not _horse_ nuggets. I like beaches. Like at Cuba. I like things that sparkle. But not too sparkly. I don't like disco balls. Too sparkly. I like severing the heads of wrongdoers from their bodies. That's always fun. Oh, oh! I like riding horses. They're scared stiff of –"

Fiona breaks off, gasping, as a wave of nausea passes through her. Her legs become unsteady beneath her weight, and Fiona topples forward. With a woof of surprise, Boro catches her with his great golden head. Underneath Fiona's chin, the Soul Stone pounds with another heartbeat, and terror washes over her.

Fiona feels feverish. She gasps for air as her throat grows dry and her lungs seem to ache with more power. The glow from the Soul Stone grows almost unbearable. Her legs flail, and, for a split second, her body feels on fire.

And then it's over, passing like a nightmare.

"What was that?" questions Boro with a shaky voice as Fiona rises to her feet with trembling legs.

Fiona's breath puffs out in front of her, making a cloud that drifts away. She watches it for a few seconds, four legs spread apart to hold her weight better and panting like a dog. Her ears hang loose and her tail is slack. Heartbrokenly, she looks up at Boro, and she whines miserably.

"I want it off," she whispers, leaning into his strong chest. Boro hugs her to him with his muzzle, letting her tears slip into his silky fur. "I just want it off."

They stand there for a minute in the white sunlight above, before, finally, Boro asks quietly, "This started when my uncle disappeared, correct?"

Fiona racks her brain. "Maybe a little bit before then but, yeah, mostly."

A growl of determination settles in Boro's throat, the vibrations rumbling down to his chest where Fiona picks them up. She looks up at him in adoration, and he gazes down with courageous love. "We'll get this figured out," he soothes. "Twenty bucks says that it has something to do with Chaos's disappearance. All we have to do is to find my uncle, and then we'll figure out why the Soul Stone keeps giving you spasms."

"Maybe." Fiona's voice sounds skeptical even to her.

"Maybe?" quotes Boro sourly. He cocks an eyebrows and shakes his elegant head in pity. "_Maybe_? So little faith in me. I promise you, Fiona, we will get this figured out."

Yips sound over the ridge. Fiona and Boro prick to the noise of wolves going bonkers over something. Some of the yelps are deeper and resounding. Others are high and panicked. One voice, the commanding voice of Thunder-Bolt, calms them down.

After his immense bravery in the Caelum Amplexu tragedy, Boro had tweaked some strings to make the playful wolf his right hand man. Thunder-Bolt had taken to the job of guardian with conviction. He's proven to be a good protector so far, considering his ability to pass the speed of light while sprinting.

The wolf silhouettes the distant ridge now, the sunlight flickering around his dark shape. He stands there melodramatically for a second, before taking a flying leap down the steep hillside. Four paws braced, Fiona watches in awe as the wolf practically snowboards down the mountain like a stunt double. The snow flies out behind him. Boro watches grimly as Thunder-Bolt picks himself up at the bottom of the cliff and bolts over.

The yellow wolf pants as he arrives. Honestly, Thunder-Bolt isn't a bad looking fellow. He's got more of a surfer-dude vibe than Boro's proud majesty, but he's got the looks. White markings circle one of his front legs, the forked tongues reminding Fiona of the lightning bolt that had put them there. His powerful eyes sweep over the summits like a god of playtime, but there's nothing amusing in his serious frown.

Thunder-Bolt sinks into a bow. "Permission to report, sir," he barks stiffly to Boro.

Boro chuckles in bafflement and frowns worriedly. "You never talk to me like your ranking officer. It's always, 'Hey, Boro, killed a boar yesterday. See ya tomorrow!'"

"This is not normal news," admits Thunder-Bolt. "This affects my friends. This affects my family."

Fiona and Boro exchange a worried look. A cold stone of fear drags in Fiona's stomach, and she shivers. "Go on," urges Boro, his voice betraying traces of Fiona's anxiety.

"Sir," barks Thunder-Bolt. He hesitates, glancing at Fiona. "Uh, sir and ma'am, we've just received word that the sister of the Child of the Wolf by the name of Seth Sorenson, our Soul's savior, has been captured and is being held prisoner in an unidentified location by an unidentified society."

A snarl rips through Fiona, overpowering the rage of even Boro's growl. She snaps her teeth together, relishing the smack they make as they clash against one another. She bares her teeth and brandishes them to the sky, and, beside her, Boro lets loose a blood-curdling howl. When he drops from the wild yowl, a rabid snarl rips through his body.

"This means war," booms Boro dangerously, lilac eyes flashing with treacherous fury.

* * *

**So, pretty much, Jadium has managed to tick off almost every single of the powerful forces here: the Fairy Queen, the Wolfen King, the Soul Bearer, Bracken, the King of Shadows, and possibly one other. **

**Now, let's think about the little pup that showed up for Seth. One of Chaos's pup's names was Seth, right? And it definitely seemed a lot like a confused ghost. The one thing he insisted upon was that Seth should "Save his Daddy." I don't know about you, but that seems like what a little boy would say if his Daddy was in grave danger.**

**There isn't a thing in the world a little boy wouldn't do for his Daddy.**

**POLL: Fiona's got something going on with the Soul Stone. What do you think this could be? Why? **

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	11. Chapter 10

**Whee! Here we go! **

**Sorry for the long chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"They say it's a great beast," mutters one man to his companion as they eye the padlocked cell door. His gun is casually slung over one shoulder, and his army suit is grungy from the days he's spent underground in the base. "You know Josiah? Josiah escorted him to the master's torture room once. Said it was a pretty thing, but scary, too. A wolf with the eyes of a demon. His exact words, I swear."

"I don't care so much about what it is," grunts the other. "I care about what it isn't. And it isn't natural. This entire area feels… wrong. Wrong and sad. That thing's a monster. A miserable monster."

"Agreed whole-heartedly," approves his friend, snootily glaring down at the cell door. Subconsciously, he straightens his gun. "But I can't help but wonder what it really is."

The two men peer nervously at the cell door as a deep, mourning voice echoing from inside begins to sing with the saddest of tunes and the most miserable of tones.

"Oh, hold me close, dear love of mine,

"Until the stars have risen!

"For when we see the bright, lively shine,

"The snow shan't be crimson!

* * *

"Hey, Crimson." Seth pokes his head through the door. The ranking shadow charmer officer has his leather boots propped up on the dark wood table. He's reclining into a sinister looking swivel chair. Seth didn't know a swivel chair could look sinister, but, somehow, Crimson pulls it off. The black cloak pools around him, and the cowl hides most of his face. Seth can see the corners of Crimson's mouth twitch into a frown, but not more. In one hand, he holds a massive dagger made from a strange bone-white metal. In the other, he whittles away at a piece of soft wood. He doesn't seem to be carving anything, simply passing the time peacefully.

"Yes?" Crimson's cool voice rings through his little office. Uncertainly, Seth shuffles forward, eyes darting around. Other than the desk in the middle of the room, it looks a lot like a teenager's fantasy. Half the room is flamboyant TV screens and video game consoles piled high with boxes upon boxes of pizzas. The other half is your ordinary sort of house things, like microwaves and washing machines.

Seth moves a bit closer to the desk, and Crimson's red lips pull into an even deeper frown. "Umm, I saw something weird this morning in my bedroom."

"Something weird?" repeats Crimson, his knife blade hovering over the wooden stick.

Seth nods, feeling like a silly little kid reporting the monsters under his bed. "Yeah. Very weird." Crimson continues shaving down the twig, with a gesture for Seth to elaborate. "Well, uh, I woke up to a little –"

"—pup in the mist calling for their Daddy?" suggests Crimson darkly. Seth nods in surprise. Crimson lets out a long sigh and sets his dagger on the table, the metal clinking against the wood. He laces his fingers behind his head, tipping the cowl of his cloak back a bit more. Seth can just make out the dark gleam of his black eyes from underneath the shadowy hood. "Interesting."

"How so?" questions Seth, puzzled.

"Because" – Crimson leans forward, eyes narrowing – "only Seniors can see the ghosts. And you're not a Senior. Which must mean…"

"Mean what?" questions Seth acidly after a few seconds of silence.

Crimson cocks his head. "Which must mean you're like Chaos. You don't have to work hard for that kind of thing. No matter he wanted to keep you close. You've got potential you don't even realize yet. But others will notice it. Clever Chaos."

"You're freaking me out," informs Seth. His curiosity gets the better of him, and Seth can't help taking the bait. "Who was that little dude? I mean, he wasn't… a ghost, was he?"

Crimson chuckles. "Of course he was a ghost. As for who he is…" Crimson rises to his feet, suddenly towering over Seth like an angel of darkness. The swivel chair rolls back a few feet. From beneath that baleful cowl, Crimson's eyes are set with bitter determination. "Where we're going, you'll find out for yourself."

* * *

"My god, I hope I don't have my period," chatters Kendra away in the endless darkness. "I wonder how girls deal with that while they're in prison. Do they have prison-orange tampons up for the grabs? They certainly don't have them here. That would be an extremely messy situation. But I had just finished my cycle when I – when it happened, so I think I'll be fine for a while yet."

Kendra sits alone in the quiet for a few moments. The silence had been calming in her first few moments. It isn't anymore. Now, Kendra can hear the beating of her heart in her ears far too loudly to be comforting. The raspy rhythm of her inhale and exhale is positively spooky. Kendra curls in on herself a bit more, closing her eyes and burying her head in her knees. The heat makes her sweat from time to time, but at least she's close to Bracken.

In her embrace, pressed desperately against her chest, right over her heart, is Bracken's horn. The warmth it emits is maddening. Almost subconsciously, Kendra begins tracing the contours of the fine horn. By now, Kendra could pick Bracken's horn out from thousands of its kind. She knows every swirling line and every slight ridge in the surface.

"I'm not sure why they gave me this big cell," Kendra whispers. "I'm not going to use half of it. Just this little corner. And, occasionally, that corner over there for the, ah, more private things. My god, it's smelly in here."

More quiet. Kendra's going to go insane with boredom eventually.

"He says that, as soon as I break, he'll give me an actual room to stay in," debates Kendra. "And free range of those fantastic gardens. That'd be nice. I wonder, is the Fairy Realm anything like his Chinese wonderland? I always imagined it to be… well, _spring_, in a word. Green grass and flowers and towering towers bound together by giant vines of ivy. I mean, I've been there, but all I've seen is your training room thing and the throne room and a couple of the hallways. All very impressive, I assure, but… I'm curious."

In the dead silence, Kendra sighs. Misery overwhelms her feigned sense of happiness. She curls tight around his warm horn, and a single tear slips from her eye before she can stop it. It slides down her nose and lands on Bracken's horn. "I'm sorry," she whispers, voice thick and throat dry. "I – I was such a jerk to you earlier. I was just worried about losing you, and Seth. I didn't mean it." Her voice cracks. "Maybe you're doing this to teach me a lesson. Maybe you're doing this so I'll be more grateful. But, Bracken" – her hands clutch feverishly at the horn – "I have learned my lesson. I'm so sorry. I promise I'll love you with everything I have, not that I didn't before. Just… just bring me back home. I miss being safe in your arms. I want you back."

Kendra swallows. "Maybe he's succeeding, Jadium. Maybe this is what he wants me to do. If it is, then, well, consider me broken. I love you, Bracken. I'm so sorry for whatever I did to deserve this."

* * *

Bracken can't. He just… can't. Wearily, he closes his eyes once more and drowns out the conversations around him.

_I will come,_ he promises futilely. _If the Demon King himself were to stand in my way, Kendra, by God, I would still come. I love you so much. I will save you, no matter the costs. You are my Queen, and I your King. I _will_ save you. Please, just stay strong, my love. Close your eyes for a little while, and, when you open them, I'll be next to you and, as you say, "oozing adorable sappiness". Just close your eyes._

* * *

It'd gone from cold to absolutely freezing in a matter of seconds. Seth shivers as Crimson continues to lead him deeper into the tunnel. They'd entered a separate doorway than the main system of caves, one located in a pile of rocks on the far side of the training grounds. Originally, the caverns had maintained a rosy sort of warmth. They'd had that look about them, that look that someone had lived here a long time ago.

But, as Crimson had lead him down a peculiar passage that seemed newer than the rest of the tunnels, the warmth had slowly dissipated. Now, frost covers the floors and the rocky crags in the ceiling, like a thin layer of birthday cake icing. Seth shivers, wishing he had a poufy coat, or at least a cloak like Crimson.

The torch Crimson holds high illuminates strange things along the walls. Carvings, ornate and gilded with rubies and amethysts, snarl and dance on the sides of the cavern, all seeming to revolve around one wolf: Chaos. Seth sees carvings of Chaos dancing, of Chaos fighting, of Chaos teaching a young wolf, of Chaos sitting at a disco booth, and more than a couple of Chaos lying on the ground, defeated, and crying his eyes out.

Seth shivers. He squints, and can just make out a glow ahead as the chill level gets critical. He feels like someone's delicately taking a needle fashioned from ice or something and threading it through his skin. Short sleeves. He'd had to wear short sleeves.

The glow grows until it's a blinding flare. Seth blinks as they approach. It's in a separate annexation from the side of the tunnel, through a furnished doorway made from sparkling jewels and smooth wood. The light has a milky blue sort of appearance about it. Crimson sets his torch in the, uh, torch-holder and walks proudly inside.

Squinting and throwing out a hand to lessen the light, Seth steps into the room.

Except it isn't a room. It's a tomb.

The walls glitter, embedded with thousands of diamonds that blink and sparkle in the light. Along the ceiling, thousands of silver studs and a marble moon are set into a smooth obsidian ceiling, probably imitating an artistic version of the night sky. The floor is flat as a map. The tomb is about the size of a small square bedroom, with just enough space for another coffin to be set.

On the right wall, there's a detailed carving of Chaos. At least, Seth assumes that it's Chaos. It's a white wolf with purple eyes surrounded by family. Leaning against him is a pretty she-wolf with orange eyes. Something about her loving smile just seems positive and bubbly, like Seth can read her personality right off the stone. She'd been made from onyx or something black and shimmery. They lay next to one another with pups all around them. Curled against Chaos's chest is a little gold wolf with cloudy lilac eyes. She looks slightly banded, the way the carver had created the gold making up her fur. Those lavender eyes seem timid but curious. Seth remembers what the pup had said. "Swift-Song is blind! She can't see your bullets!" Giggling and rolling on his back is the little wolf, his fur done with such expertise it makes Seth's jaw drop. There's only one other wolf pup, a dark brown one that screams "boisterous". Her lips are bared in a crude smile, and she bats at her father's face. With their backdrop of emerald green grass, they look happy, caring, and _alive_.

On the other wall, it shows something a little less heart-warming. It shows a wolf that Seth knows in his heart is Chaos, a close up of Chaos's face. Just the top part, though; his muzzle, his eyes, and part of his cheek. The picture is a bit hard to make out because of the lighting scheme. The only source of illumination in the mural is lightning hitting the ground in the distance. But Seth can see feathery smoke swirling up in front of Chaos's face. He can see the stripes of black stone beginning to grow on Chaos's cheeks from where the smoke hits them. He can see the amethyst crescents of half-closed eyes, and he can see the tear of diamonds tracing down his face in the bright starlight. Overhead, a small moon shines, like a face laughing at Chaos.

Along the far wall, four caskets are placed. They sort of look like a filing cabinet in the way they open, sliding out and such, but these are locked shut. Each is engraved with a word or two that Seth feels is definitely not English.

_Firefly, Mother of Love_

_Clara, Daughter of Fire_

_Swift-Song, Child of Innocence_

_Seth, Son of Mischief_

He gasps and stumbles backwards, because that is still not the most impressive thing Seth sees. Embedded in a stone on the wall, shining as bright as a sun, is a twinkling orb of light. He can't make out the definite shape, just the shining ball of light. Whatever it is, the whitish blue luminance is almost hypnotizing. It mesmerizes Seth with its leisurely display, like fire burning in slow motion.

"What _is_ that?" gasps Seth, pointing imprudently to the light.

"The Evening Star," answers Crimson curtly.

Seth grows suspicious. He turns to the cloaked figure and scowls. "Like, the Society of the Evening Star? That Evening Star?"

"It is what they were named after, yes." Crimson bows to the light, and then kneels on the ground for no determined reason. "I believe the Sphinx liked the idea of an object that inflicted so much pain of so many. It has quite a history."

Seth looks at Crimson in surprise. "You sound like you know him."

"I knew him, yes," agrees Crimson. "For a short time, he resided here and studied magic in our arms. We thought nothing of his oddities then. There are certainly weirder in this place. We didn't suspect a thing until Chaos sent us a message, straight from Zzyxx. Appalled by his intentions, we chased the Sphinx off and warned him never to return. We didn't kill him, I think half by hoping he would succeed and release our master at long last."

After a few moments of silence, Seth registers something. "Wait… Chaos was in Zzyxx? How come?"

"Your grammar makes me cringe," scolds Crimson, "but, yes, he was in Zzyxx. Not as an inmate, of course. As a lock. In the old design for Zzyxx, someone had to seal the magic trapping the demon horde inside of their prison from the inside. That meant locking themselves away with the demons for what was thought to be eternity. Chaos offered willingly, unhappy to see any other people send themselves forward. He thought he had lived his length, and that many of the young men volunteering had not. So Chaos plunged into Zzyxx before anyone could decide for him and locked himself inside."

Seth's jaw drops. He remembers all the ferocious and horrendous demons from that horrible day and the way they would screech and try to get in his mind. Then he imagines facing that for _a thousand years_. Chaos must've been hurt pretty badly for him to want to endure that.

"But…" Seth's voice quavers. "He's okay now? He got out."

Crimson seems to hesitate before answering. "Yes. He got out. He's relatively unaffected; just a bit harder to strangers and a tad bit sassier, believe it or not. Chaos needed a few days straight of cuddle-time with us, so he could truly know he was safe again, and then he was back on his feet for us, mouthing off anyone that challenged his sanity." Crimson chuckles sadly. "He offered to do it again, hobbling up to the Fairy Queen on nearly broken legs. Agad had come up with a new system, one that allowed him to stay away from that dreaded place, thankfully." Amusement touches his voice. "You stabbed him with Vasilis, you know. When you were going after Graulas, he was just walking past, and _boom_! Suddenly he was on fire! He threw the biggest hissy fit about it. Something about untrained shadow charmers stabbing the King with toothpicks. I think he was rather impressed by you, however."

"I don't remember that," hums Seth, focusing on his memories and scratching through them.

"There were a lot of demons that day," amends Crimson with a chuckle. "And Chaos, with that striped coat of his would've blended right in with the beasts."

"I guess so." Seth frowns. "No, wait. Was he the one that squealed like a pig?"

"The same!" laughs Crimson, and, soon, the two are laughing together with brotherly agreement. Crimson seems a lot less mystical when he's snorting with giggles, and Seth feels himself loosen up. He swears that the other Seth's, the Seth on the wall, eyes shine with mirth as well.

"Right," gasps Crimson. He wipes a tear from his eye. "We were talking about Chaos, right? Yes, I do believe so. This" – Crimson spreads his arms to indicate the room – "is the tomb of Chaos's beloved family. We turned it into a shrine, which he thinks is ridiculous. The front room, the room we walked through with all the runes along the walls? That was where they actually died. Their spirits wander from time to time. Mostly, only a few can see them, though. Chaos and a few of the elders. I can occasionally, but only with practiced patience."

Crimson taps an engraving on the floor Seth hadn't noticed before. "There are three major groups of shadow charmers: Hurin, Uriel, and Jumok. Those all mean something in some weird language. There's one minor group, the Calvacs, but I won't go into that quite yet.

"Before I go into the groups, understand that there are a lot of common traits that show up in all of the categories, like shadow-walking and speaking demonic languages. Those traits aren't used to sort out a shadow charmer's grouping. If you have any doubts on what is common and what is not, feel free to ask.

"The Hurin group is perhaps the largest of all of them. Their abilities are power over the physical side of things. They can make mist appear and billow dramatically. They can light their swords on fire and summon powerful holograms to fool enemies. Many things like that. If you run into a Child of the Wolf in a dark alley, you're going to pray that it'll be a Hurin, because they're most predictable.

"Our next category is not predictable in any way. The Uriel. Even their names hold a bit of superstition. The Uriel are mental hunters, meaning that they fight with their minds, in a way. They can communicate telepathically and battle with brains. I must stay on guard at all times so that a power-hungry Uriel does not simply take over my mind. They're to be feared, but not so much as the next group.

"Jamok are a beast to behold. They can hypnotize and have all sorts of weird tricks they can play. Some can injure your senses, leaving you unable to hear, see, or smell. Others can jump between realities and travel halfway across the world in half a second. There are many different traits in each of these categories, making each rather large, so there are many flexible rules."

Seth pauses, considering that. "What are you?"

A smile plays at Crimson's lip. "I am the minor group. The Calvacs. We have no set category, but the best powers from all three. With practice like Chaos has had the time to entertain, you can learn every trait in the world. I am a very slow learner, so it has been difficult thus far, but things become easier every day under Chaos's watchful eye."

Seth looks at the symbols for each of the four branches etched into the floor. "So… what am I? And what does this have to do with anything?"

The smile on Crimson's face grows. "Isn't that the question?" he muses. "What are you? I believe that you are a Calvacs, my friend. We alone have the ability to see through the veil of life and death, especially at such a young age. But don't get your knickers in a bunch. It isn't decided until Chaos dons you Calvacs."

"Oh." There's really no other response to Crimson's speech. Seth hesitates before asking, "What do we do now? I mean, the Pup-Seth told me to find his Daddy, but I have no clue where that is. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

Crimson smiles mysteriously at Seth. "I didn't bring you here solely to gab. Place your hand on Seth's plaque, and call for him with the exact words inscribed on the metal."

Awkwardly, Seth shuffles forward across the stone floor. His footfalls echo eerily. The blank eyes of the wolf family seem to follow him, especially those of the blind pup, Swift-Song. Cautiously, he lays a hand on the metal plaque, brushing off a layer of dust that had formed. Seth is seriously creeped out by the fact that it's warm, not cold like everything else in the star-frosted room.

"Seth, Son of Mischief," he announces, feeling like a total idiot. For a second, nothing happens. Seth can feel Crimson's eyes boring holes into his back. But then, things get interesting.

The Evening Star bursts with a quick flash of blinding light. Seth stumbles backwards, throwing a hand in front of his eyes and wrenching away from the plaque a good three feet. When the light fades and Seth regains his ability to see once again, there's another creature in the room.

"Hello," giggles Seth the Wolf, cocking his head. "I know you. You're the one with the funny Pokémon boxers."

* * *

Marla sighs. The house is terribly quiet. Everyone had left, even her husband, leaving her alone with the dreadful quiet. Well, not completely alone. There's that insufferable unicorn lying around like a bump on the log somewhere, but Marla doesn't feel like investigating.

Marla buries her head in her hands. Poor, poor Kendra! Her poor, poor daughter. If only she'd never come to this awful preserve in the first place, if only Marla had been there to comfort her poor child, maybe Kendra wouldn't be in the state she is now. Maybe she'd be at home in the kitchen, eating Cocoa Puffs and safely tucked away from sketchy horse princes.

Suddenly, Marla can't stand it anymore. Even an insufferable unicorn is better than nothing, and, for the sake of her nerves, she must know something.

Marla strides from the kitchen to the living room to the front room down the hall and finally into the TV room, where Mud or whatever his name is had collapsed a few days ago. Peeking her head inside, Marla gets her first glance of the unicorn since her son had told her to back off a bit.

And, for a unicorn, he isn't looking so good.

Marla remembers what Warren had reported: scarcely eating, never sleeping, only just sitting there and rolling around in his misery. She hadn't believed it until now. His usually handsome face is gaunt and thin from not eating for at least six days. Underneath his shut eyes, dark purple bruises seem to glare accusingly at Marla. His hands tremble with a barely recognizable shake. The shirt he'd put on more than a couple of days ago is ratty and wrinkled. The unicorn's leaning his head back, and that sexy Adam's apple bobs every time he swallows.

The unicorn apparently doesn't notice as she shuffles into the room and sits with a squeak into the poufy armchair. He doesn't even stir. Marla stares at him, properly taking in his weary expression. Maybe… no. Marla will not let herself even consider her daughter marrying a unicorn named Mud.

Marla clears her throat to gain his attention. One of those dark purple eyelids rolls up almost lazily. His silvery blue pupil trains on her, so clouded and filled with pain that there's almost no emotion at all. Marla leans forward, questioning heartbrokenly, "My girl. Christmas is in a week and a half. Will my girl be home for Christmas, for real? Don't give me a fake answer, unicorn."

That eye closes again, and he makes a sound of agony in his throat. "No," the unicorn croaks in his usually deep voice. "No, I don't think she will."

Marla sits for a second of sadness. "Right. I was just asking. Just… wondering. I need to tell the school. Yes, that's all. Tell the school. Yes."

His eyelid opens once more. "Kendra is lucky to have a mother as good as you," he says quietly. Shocked, Marla doesn't respond. He eyes her lazily for a few moments more, then shuts his eye again. Suspicion clouds Marla's mind.

"Are you buttering me up?" she growls.

His strained chuckle makes her heart twinge in sympathy. "No. Not really, although that would've been genius. I can honestly say I've never met a woman quite like you, Marla Sorenson. Not once."

Marla hesitates. "I'm not sure that was a compliment, but thanks." She studies his agonized face, and more sympathy and regret starts to flood her logical mind. "You really do love her, don't you?" Marla whispers quietly.

"How could I not?" he inquires softly.

Marla stays silent for a minute longer, before rising from the armchair. "Right. I'll leave you alone with your thoughts. And hers, I guess."

She shuffles out the door, beginning to retreat down the hallway when she hears the unicorn call after her. Marla pauses and pays attention to his words, and then snorts in defiance.

"By the way, it's _Bracken_, not 'Mud'."

* * *

"Where did you find him?" barks Boro as he stares down at the young man's handsome face. He'd been here in the snow for a very long time, by the looks of it. Those azure eyes are glazed over with frost, and his limbs are stiff as boards.

"Just lying here," answers Thunder-Bolt in puzzlement. "Like he'd just appeared."

Fiona trots over. Boro smiles as she approaches, the strong sunlight filtering through her chocolate brown hair. Those beautiful eyes, one the color of gold and the other sky blue, flash with mischief and knowingness. Underneath her chin rests the Soul Stone, and she holds it with such dignity you'd think she was born for the role. Which, of course, she was.

Fiona raises an eyebrow. "Whoa. Did a One Direction jet fly overhead? Because they dropped someone."

Boro chuckles. He focuses on Thunder-Bolt and questions, "Any identifications, or clues to his whereabouts?"

Thunder-Bolt nods. He digs into the teenage boy's jacket, and pulls out with something clutched between his canines. Setting it down gingerly on the snow, Thunder-Bolt flips open the wallet he'd found and picks something from the pockets. He sets a driver's license on the snow, revealing the picture of the boy smiling.

Fiona whistles. "Definitely One Direction."

"Matthew Green," reads Boro aloud. "Oh ho, look at that. He's from the closest town to Fablehaven. That can't be a coincidence."

"Most likely not," agrees Thunder-Bolt. "And, when I dug that wallet out of his pocket, I got a strange whiff… like he's not exactly human. Mostly human, but not quite. A bit like shadow charmer, except more feline and gross. He was pretty sweaty at some point, too."

"Strange," whispers Boro, tilting his head and letting his eyes linger over the snow ridges.

Suddenly, beside him, Fiona stiffens. She goes rigid, and her eyes roll. The Soul Stone underneath her chin burns with bright light. Boro yelps and desperately dives for her, catching her weight before she hits the snow and supporting Fiona as she thrashes with agony.

And, then, as quickly as it'd came, Fiona stops. She pauses and tilts her head in confusion. Cooing encouragements, Boro gently sets her back on her own feet. Thunder-Bolt appears on her other side with those eyes narrowed protectively. He growls and watches all angles, in case of a threat.

"That was really weird this time," she whispers in awe.

"How so?" questions Boro, tilting his head and gazing down at Fiona with concern.

Fiona frowns. "Well, for starters, I heard Chaos's voice. He said, 'God dammit, stupid mind jammies, I hate it when…' I lost the rest of it. Also, it didn't hurt as much as it had other times."

"Chaos?" wonders Boro. "Do you think he's trying to contact you through the Soul Stone?"

"I think –" Fiona gasps, and begins writhing once more. Her eyes glow. Boro catches her, and, this time, Thunder-Bolt secures her weight as well. Boro knows he shouldn't feel jealous, because the other wolf has a mate and family, but he does regardless.

When she revives from the wild state, Boro is frantic with worry. "Fiona! Are you alright? What happened? I thought they never occurred so close together! Are you hurt? Do you need to rest? Do you need food? I can carry you to the den if you need me to."

"I need you to shut up," Fiona gasps. Excitement shines in those beautiful eyes.

Thunder-Bolt chuckles. "She's fine."

"Beside the point." Fiona eases herself to her feet, shaking her head to clear it. Excitement sparkles in her eyes this time, and eagerness outlines her figure and ready stance. The Soul Stone seems to dance with her cheer. "I heard Chaos again."

Boro cocks his head, puzzled. "I… I assume the news was good?"

"Very good," she agrees happily.

"Well, what did he tell you?" asks Thunder-Bolt with interest. "Anything I should know."

Fiona's eyes sparkle. "Chaos said, 'Tura, Russia'."

* * *

"Tura, Russia!" howls the pup with glee, wagging his tail. Seth staggers backwards. From the moment the words leave the pup's mouth, he begins crumbling into dust. "Just remember: Tura, Russia!"

* * *

"You know," ponders Kendra aloud, "I think I might be in Russia."

* * *

**And the chase is on! Sorry for the long chapter! **

**In this chapter, we learned that Seth may be a super-powerful Child of the Wolf. We begin to see a mutual bond growing between Marla, Kendra's mom, and Bracken. This could either turn out good, or crash and fail and end up worse than ever. We find out what was causing those annoying headaches of Fiona's. And, last but probably most important of all, we learn the location of the prison. **

**Tura, Russia.**

**Let the hunt begin.**

**POLL: How many people have forgotten about River-Song entirely? Sure, she's a bit of a loner, but ten bucks says she's going to become important. How do you think she could help out in this stuggle?**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hello, loving fans! Enjoy! Things are going down!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

High above Flash-Foot, he can see Brach begin to coast lower through the sky. Envy fills the pup. He flips around briefly in the air to get a quick image of the massive white wolf, before evening out his wings to soar like Brach.

In order to learn to fly, Flash-Foot has watched a lot of flying things. Planes, hawks, sparrows, butterflies, helicopters; he'd seen it all. But it had been _Brach_ that'd stopped by one day and taught him the sky, _Brach_ who had taught him the secrets of the sky. Brach had shown Flash-Foot the secrets of riding thermals and navigating currents. He'd helped him in ways that no one else could, and taken Flash-Foot under his fairylike wing.

But that'd been a month ago. Every time he sees the Fairy Wolf soaring above, it makes Flash-Foot's stomach swim with happiness. With a flap of his broad falcon-like wings, Flash-Foot flies a little up to Brach's level.

"So, what are we looking for again?" he shouts over the wind messing through his feathers.

"Anything out of the ordinary," calls back Brach, banking next to Flash-Foot to speak better. "All we got was Tura, Russia. Most of the people that are leading this whole extravaganza think it's just nearby the city, because, based on what Kendra's said so far, there's a lot more space that they take up than that they're using than the city can provide. So, we're looking for anything abnormal."

"Does a giant bubble castle count as abnormal?" questions Flash-Foot, lifting a talon to point to the figure in the distance.

Brach's pinkish orange eyes narrow to a squint. "I don't have your eyes, kid. What do you see?"

Flash-Foot swallows. "Well, it's like a red bubble of magical protection stuff. Very round, very huge. Inside of that, there's a black castle. Like, with spires and everything. But it looks abandoned. All around it, there's a fancy garden sort of thing. I can see lakes even from here."

"Like, koi ponds?" demands Brach.

"Like koi ponds," agrees Flash-Foot grimly.

"Well," sighs Brach, "I think we've found it."

* * *

Warren pauses outside the shower. He frowns in utmost confusion, and, as ninja-like as possible, he puts his ear on the cool wooden door of the bathroom. Warren's frown deepens at Bracken's happy singing voice lifting over the sound of a shower running.

He retracts, not wanting to invade on the unicorn's privacy. An eyebrow raises and he continues walking down the hall. Trotting down the stairs, Warren is met at the base with Marla just twirling in circles with an invisible tango partner.

"Okay, what did I miss?" wonders Warren.

Marla's eyes sparkle as she turns to him. "Bracken got word from Kendra. Seth, Boro, Fiona, and a couple others whose names I honestly forgot. We're going to bust my girl out of jail. Mud the Unicorn promised he'd get her back by Christmas. My baby is coming home, Warren! My baby is coming home!"

* * *

"Here." Crimson shoves a bundle at the already packed-down Seth. "Take these."

Seth shuffles his backpack around to his other shoulder and rifles through the bundle. It's silky soft clothing, whatever it is; like one of those special imported fabrics that Bracken would bring Kendra from time to time. He picks up the material and freezes, recognizing the deep cowl of the hood.

Seth looks up at Crimson in shock. "A BBM cloak?"

"_Two_ BBM cloaks," corrects Crimson. "One for you when you go to rescue your sister, and one for that poor stupid unicorn. He'll be dead within a few seconds if he struts in there with that light a-shining. And he'll want to go, to rescue his special Queen."

Seth's oddly touched. The cloaks are a big deal here. The black cloaks, like Crimson's and the other elders, symbolize higher rank. The grey ones symbol warriors. The clasps are some sort of honor thing, like how Native Americans would get their names after committing acts of valor or whatever. For Crimson just to be giving them away… the gruff dude must think higher of Seth than he'd believed.

"Thanks," he says gratefully, slinging them over his arm. "Really. Thanks."

Crimson grunts. "All of our hopes are riding on your shoulders, Little Wolf. If you fail this, then Chaos dies, no two ways about it. I might as well help you as much as I can."

* * *

"You're so pretty," purrs Jadium in Kendra's ear. She tenses. He'd handcuffed her again, so she can't slap him, and he'd foot-cuffed her as well, meaning that she couldn't kick him, either. Kendra swallows, trying to ignore the hands moving down her waist out of existence. "I've seen prettier, mind you, but not for a long time."

Kendra tries her best to elbow Jadium, but, as always, as soon as her flesh connects with his forehead, he fades into shadows and appears next to her other shoulder. "So much fire!" Jadium cackles. "I see why that unicorn adored you so. You won't give up on him. Pity he's already given up on you."

Kendra squeezes her eyes shut and ignores his words.

"Bracken is his name, am I correct?" Jadium laughs, directly in Kendra's ear. She flinches away from the boisterous noise, and can just feel his amusement blossom. "Yes, I do believe it is. Bracken the unicorn. Your Fairy Prince. How silly of you. You are but a servant girl to him, a servant girl that can easily be manipulated. Your 'Fairy Prince' wants nothing to do with spoiled goods."

"He's my King," she growls through gritted teeth, remembering his endearments only a few days – or maybe weeks by now – ago. "And he'll rip your head off."

Jadium laughs, and one of his clawed hands move up to her chest. "Hmm," he hums in Kendra's ear, making her shudder. Yet again she lunges with her elbow, and yet again he dodges with his shadowy powers. "You talk about him," he rasps in her ear. "When I push you a bit too far and you, ah, black out, you murmur about him in your sleep. I know all about Bracken, your Fairy Prince."

"No," snarls Kendra, shoving his hand off of herself in blooming fury. "No, you know nothing."

"Such fire," he admires again. "Fiery and pretty. I am pretty, too. Would you not like to see what I look like, young concubine? Would you like me to step into the light?" Hid hands suddenly vanish, and his foul breath in her ear disappears.

"Yeah," Kendra snarls. "Go step into some sunlight, demon."

His chuckle echoes through the darkness. Out of nowhere, a torch erupts with mesmerizing red flames. It spits and hisses like a blazing snake, and, out of the corner of her eye, Kendra can see a hand flash in the darkness, casting a shadow on the wall.

And then Jadium steps into the torchlight.

He's not bad looking, with all honesty, even with Kendra's hate-tainted vision. He bares his long, catlike fangs. They slide over his full lips, like long white daggers. Though prominent, his cheekbones are like dangerous razors, more dreadful than the rounded shape of Bracken's ruggedly handsome face. His golden eyes are large and expressive. At the moment, they shine with malice and lust. Jadium's face has a sort of animalistic design to it. It's awful, but, in a twisted sort of way, beautiful as well.

"You see, little girl," Jadium purrs, "I am—"

A splatter of paint explodes across one of his snowy white cheekbones. Jadium recoils and hisses at the neon green splatter, baring his fangs. Eyes wide, Kendra turns around to see two purple eyes gleaming in the torchlight.

Chaos steps forward, his paintball machine guns whirring in the darkness, and grins maniacally.

"Hello, Kendra," he chatters enthusiastically, all while firing barrages of acid paintballs at a writhing Jadium. "Pleasant to see you again. I've been so bored these last couple of days. Thought I'd have a bit of fun. Oh, are you still wearing handcuffs? Handcuffs, you can fall off now."

Just like that, Kendra's wrists and ankles are free. She steps backward, eyes wide as she gawks at Chaos. "Is this… is this some sort of single-handed escape plan?" she laughs incredulously.

"Escape plan?" cries Chaos cheerfully. "Nonsense! Too many guards, too many defenses. I'm merely bored! Thought I'd have a bit of fun! No, wait, already said that… Well, I said is once, I said it twice, and now I'll say it again!" He leans forward, holding back the line of paintballs for a second. "You liking that, Jadium? Each of these babies are filled with liquid UVA. Not sure how it works. Gift from Cadeliah, god bless that creepy fortune teller. The sunlight, it burns you, doesn't it? Thought I'd have a little fun." Chaos snarls. "Think twice about hurting Kendra next time. Oh, Kendra, you're still here? Interesting. Try running! See how far you can get! Such fun!"

Kendra hesitates, and then dashes through the open door. Freedin bursts in her chest, like a caged bird taking to the sky for the first time in years. Kendra runs away from Chaos and her torturer… straight into the arms of an armed soldier.

The last thing Kendra remembers is Chaos's howl of explicit pain, and then the world goes black.

* * *

"We should go!" urges Bracken, the tendons in his neck standing out. "Every day Kendra spends there, the more she weakens. It won't be long until she grows too weak! I will not sit idly by and let that happen. Over my dead body."

Boro and Fiona exchange a glance. "Bracken," soothes Boro with his special velvety soft voice that Fiona loves, "that isn't a wise idea."

Bracken throws his arms up in frustration, those silver eyes flashing with fury. "I don't care! All I know is that Kendra is suffering!" Fiona winces at that. "I want her to be safe! That's all I care about!"

"Well," Fiona remarks snootily, ticked at the unicorn ignorance, "it wouldn't do her much help if you charge off and get yourself killed, now would it?" Bracken pauses. "Now, listen to some logic, will ya, unicorn? We're trying to get this figured out."

"We can't agree on anything without Seth here," admits Boro, "but we can at least brainstorm. Brach and Flash-Foot have reported that there is indeed a castle in the area, and that it's protected by some serious magic. What have you found out in your studying?"

Bracken sighs in surrender. He buries his head in his hands. "There was an old preserve there, years ago, in the beginning of the latest age. One of the first, and one of the shabbiest. For some time, it stood. But then it fell, for unidentified reasons, and it's been vacant ever since. Any unicorn to wander there has never returned, for unknown reasons. It makes more sense now, I suppose. I'm not any happier about Kendra being abducted, but now I have a reason to investigate."

Boro hums with curiosity. "Any idea what we're up against?" Bracken shakes his head. Against the flowery backdrop of the poufy armchair, the Fairy Prince looks a little ridiculous.

"Well…" He sighs. "I might have an idea, but I'm praying it's wrong. Kendra is discreet on any mentioning of the antagonist, whose name seems to be Jadium. With all good reason, of course. But she's noted that he can't go out in sunlight. He has the eyes of a cat. He has fangs. And he has a taste for females, regardless of species. Jadium, apparently, has an army as well. The halls are like a labyrinth, and the living conditions are terrible for the prisoners. Kendra only gets fed a meager dish of food once a day. She's starving. Also, she's noted more than one Bakeneko crawling around. Those scare her."

Fiona frowns. "Jadium, Jadium… that names sounds so familiar. I bet my mum was off on one of her talking-for-the-sake-of-talking sprees, and she mentioned him. I'll do some research after this in her Library. Hopefully, I'll be able to track something down."

"Hopefully." Bracken pinches the bridge of his nose in his hand and he shuts his eyes in concentration. "My god, I wish there was some way I could contact her."

Fiona looks at Boro. He gives an almost indiscernible shake of the head, and Fiona forgets telling Bracken about their idea quite yet. Instead, she suggests, "Why don't you try writing all the things Kendra says down in a journal? That way, you'll have a reference should you need it, and you can show it to her later when she's safe and sound at home. That way, when she's back, she'll know you were listening out for her. Take it from a girl. That's romantic."

Boro snorts scornfully, and Fiona shoves him roughly.

"I might," sighs Bracken indifferently. "I might." He hesitates. "Can we turn on the TV, just to get my mind off of Kendra? She's off at one of her torture sessions at the moment, and, I swear, I'm about to pass out with worry."

"I'd pay to see that," mutter Fiona. It's Boro's turn to shove her. "Yes," he says, smiling kindly at Bracken, "we can turn on the TV. Unfortunately, paws aren't good with remotes. Mind using the clicker next to your arm?"

Bracken picks up the black remote and points it at the primitive television. He jams down hard on one of the buttons repeatedly until it blinks to life. The screen appears on the news channel, with a lady plastered in makeup squawking about the weather. Abruptly, the screen changes, and the News Channel begins reporting about another cult.

"It's the same one," remarks Fiona quietly as she watches the screen. "The same cult. The Ghostbusters, or something stupid like that."

"The Hunters," corrects Boro.

"Whatever. Just watch."

"This is News Channel Negative Seven, coming to you live from Tampa Bay, where a march is occurring through the center of the city," the handsome male announcer declares with his special voice. "Those with the fabled Sight are claiming that they're brandishing swords to the sky, and those without are reporting clubs and guns. Whichever side of the story you believe, it is certainly a frightening sight."

The camera zooms in on a squadron of the soldiers, and they are indeed holding swords. The reporter goes on and states, "They demand the death of every mystical creature that has been sighted, declaring that they plan to stem the growth of humanity and return them to a form of servitude. Here we go live with an actual cultist. Martha, onto you!"

A woman with spiky black hair standing in front of a man with beady black eyes waits for a second before continuing the broadcast. "This is Martha Jones, coming to you live with my friend, Gerber Smith. Gerber Smith, what is the purpose of this march?"

She extends the microphone out to him, and the muscled man speaks with a heavily accented Russian voice, "We are here to exterminate the ones who hold humanity back. If you look at all the tapes caught of the tragedies from the last year or so, you will see – well, if you are one who can see through Sight, then you can see a wolf. If you can't, there's always dogs. These creatures, they're called the Great Wolves. Their motive is to tear down the human race and start anew with their race as Supremes. We must fight back! We must kill them!"

Martha Jones frowns. "But, sir," she insists, "that's only for these… Great Wolves. It's been said that you hunt for all whimsical creatures."

"Well, of course we do." Gerber Smith rolls his eyes in annoyance. "They are powerful as well, though perhaps not _as_ powerful. But all of them bode humanity ill. The fairies mock and tease, and the dragons threaten from their mountains of stolen goods. Never trust a unicorn; they're notorious seductors." Bracken snorts indignantly. He lunges for the remote and flicks it off.

"I've decided I don't want to watch TV," the unicorn decrees. "But that sounded bad."

"It is bad," agrees Fiona grimly. "They're next on the hit list, to be dealt with after Kendra is safely returned. The group is a little extreme and more public than others, true. But they've already wrecked a clan of wolves and a sanctuary for various magical creatures. I have some of my best people on it right now. They've traced the group down to…" Fiona trails off, and her eyes widen.

Boro gasps in shock. He looks at her, the same thoughts running through his head. "They've traced them back to Tura, Russia," he finishes for Fiona, his awe mingling with her own.

Bracken starts with surprise, but Fiona ignores him. "It can't possibly be related, can it?" Fiona wonders aloud. "I mean, if Kendra's captor really just wants to get down on her, he doesn't have a need for a cult, right? It seems rather redundant."

Boro shakes his head wearily. The movement sends a ripple through his golden coat. "How could it not be related? All of the world, and two major activities happening in the same place? Seems like a coincidence at best. But I've been around too long to place any trust in coincidences."

"Same," agrees Bracken, reminding Fiona that he's still here. Fiona turns to regard the Fairy Prince. Although he looks better than Mrs. Sorenson had said he'd been earlier, she can notice the signs of weariness in his expression and hold. Most of the time, Bracken walks and talks like a man that should be respected, and one that knows it. But recently, he looks like a tired old man with a wound that somebody keeps pouring salt into. His bruised eyes only emphasize his exhaustion.

Boro seems to notice it at the same time. Leaning forward, Boro taps his muzzle to Bracken's forehead. Boro whispers something unintelligible while Bracken sits there in puzzlement. The Fairy King collapses back into the chair, eyes rolling back into his head.

"There we go." Boro steps back to admire his work. "He'll have a nice, long nap. When he wakes up, hopefully we'll have some better news. Hopefully."

Fiona walks up and rests her head on Boro's athletic shoulder. "_Hopefully_. I hate that word."

Boro sighs, nuzzling Fiona's ears gently. "I do too, my love. I do too."

* * *

Kendra hits the prison ground hard. She spits out a glob of blood and screeches in fury at the man who'd thrown her inside. Behind her, the door hurriedly clangs shut, locking Kendra away in complete and utter darkness. Fuming, Kendra staggers up to her feet.

"Careful," calls a deep, melodic voice from the darkness. Kendra's eyes widen. "You might trip and break an ankle. That would suck."

Kendra's heart stops for a beat. "_Chaos_?"

Something wet brushes Kendra's hand, and, unable to see what it is, Kendra jerks her hand back until Chaos chuckles, "Yours truly" and reassures her that it truly is the gruff King of Shadows.

"What are you doing here?" she cries, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around his great neck. Chaos's fur tickles her nose, and he's just about as warm as Bracken's horn, but not quite. Through Kendra's skin, she feels Chaos chuckle.

"You mean here as in the relative place?" he asks. "Same as you, I guess. Got captured by a bad man. Never trust a man in a big white van. He didn't even have candy. Before you say anything, _no_, that's _not_ what happened. Of _course_ it isn't. But here, as in this cell? Well, I guess I busted my old one up pretty bad. So now we're inmates. Say, 'Yay' Kendra!"

Kendra says yay.

"But I do have one thing to inquire of you, Inmate of Mine," rumbles Chaos, his voice deepening with his grimness. "Just for future reference, you know, for when nature takes its due course, which one is your pee-pee corner?"

* * *

**So, Chaos and Kendra are inmates. Either this will end up friendly and happy, or Kendra will become so pissed at Chaos that their banter will be spirited and chock-full of cussing. Also, Seth and Fiona and Boro and Bracken and Brach are going to have a meeting about Kendra's situation somewhere in the near future. Great. Good to hear it. **

**I may not update for a while; I've got to focus on schoolwork as tests begin to roll around.**

**POLL: Who's your favorite character of mine? Why do you like them?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	13. Chapter 12

**Sorry about not updating! I'll be back with you soon!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

The power of a song is incredible.

Cadeliah lopes through the woods, the trees blurring around her feet.

The power of a song can end wars. Great Scribe Alexander ended the Angelic Fall with a lullaby, sending the last of the Transylvanians into a deep sleep which they did not rise from. They slumbered even as the sun rose and scorched their skin. And, with the song, the last seven angels rose. They flew off to cover underneath the Soul Bearer's wing, and found protection forevermore.

The power of a song can begin loves. The Fairy King had been strumming on his homemade banjo with a wolf swaying to the lively beat reclined next to him as the Fairy Queen had walked past, her nobility taking kindly on his poverty. With that love song, he formed a bond with her from the moment they first locked eyes on one another. Cadeliah smiles, remembering how, even as a pup not up to the unicorn's knee, even, she had shipped the two as a couple.

The power of a song can destroy empires. Cadeliah recalls the six months of terror that Chaos roamed wild through the world, his fangs bared and his newly striped coat speckled with blood. The loss of the only things in the world he'd loved still fresh in his mind, the King of Shadows had rampaged over the human kingdoms, cracking their skyscrapers and destroying their cities, burning their technologies and slaughtering their people. Everyone was afraid; he was out of control, mad with hate.

The power of a song can heal. Every night, River-Song the Fairy Wolf used to howl alone at the sky in mourning. She would listen for a reply, but all the wolves would silence their own howls in fear. So she would sing alone, every night, wishing for a partner in singing. But, just a few weeks ago, another voice joined hers in song. Brach, the silly little lover he is, had sang with her, if only to lighten River-Song's spirits. Cadeliah likes her grandchildren. They're remarkable Fairy Wolves. Or will be.

The power of a song can comfort. Chaos, the very wolf who'd destroyed everything in his path, cradling a scared little girl to his chest and singing her to sleep with that deep voice might be surprising to some. But not to Cadeliah. His lungs heaving with every note is just another reminder for him, a push beyond his miserable state. With every note he murmurs into the girl's ear, a part of his torturing past slips away, and the girl comforts him as much as he comforts her.

But what happens when a song ends?

* * *

Seth watches Bracken sleep. On the table, there's a stack of journals, all of them with crumpled pages and scribbled notes throughout. Next to the journals, a few dried out pens sit. One notebook still rests on his knee, a pen still clasped in his hand. Bracken drools slightly out of the corner of his mouth.

"How long has he been asleep?" Seth whispers to Warren.

Warren shrugs. "The first time I saw him? At least a day. Now? Probably about an hour, the last time Boro came through."

Seth's eyes flick back to the unicorn. "It's good to see him getting some zzz's. When I spoke to him last, he was so tired he couldn't even form a good mental response.

Warren shrugs. "The whole Kendra information thing really jolted him into action. You should've seen him. Singing Beethoven in the shower. I'm a bit ashamed to say that it was hilarious."

Seth chuckles. He pulls back out of the TV room and retreats back down the hall, face still twisted into a smile. The warm scents of home fill his nostrils. As interesting as the BBM Camp had been, he's glad to be back at Fablehaven. There's nothing really like this sanctuary. Nothing quite the same.

"The wolves left a few hours ago," chatters Warren like a squirrel at Seth's shoulder. "Said something about killing stuff. Like, to eat. I wouldn't expect them back before dusk. Brach's flying around, trying to gather people to help with rescuing your sister. Fiona's scratching through scrolls for information in your Grandfather's study. Flash-Foot's napping on your bed. Sorry. Jhama and Yetta are causing mischief god knows where. The astrids were here just a while ago. Not sure where they went."

"The astrids?" exclaims Seth with bizarre interest. "Why the astrids?"

Warren chuckles. "Cassandra, I assume. Alec looked as impassive as ever and Zia was just as grumpy as before. Cassandra was the only one who showed any real interest in rescuing your sister. She probably forced the other two into it."

A glow of affection warms Seth's heart. "She's nice like that."

"Very nice," agrees Warren, escorting Seth to the kitchen. "Maybe nice enough to be your girlfriend...?"

Seth groans and collapses on one of the familiar wooden chairs centered around the kitchen table. "Not you, too," he complains. "Before... well, Kendra would always try to get us together. She and Zia were devils like that."

Warren opens the fridge and rifles through its contents. "For a fairykind, handmaiden to the Fairy Queen, Kendra can be a devil," agrees Warren. "Once, she braided Bracken's hair as he slept. Y'know, back when it was shoulder-length. He didn't notice until I politely mentioned that his French braid looked great with all those orchids."

Seth cackles. "Oh, how did I miss that?"

"You were out training with Chaos," answers Warren innocently, pulling out a jar of nutella and some peanut butter. An icy cold hand grips Seth's heart at the mention of Chaos. He shuts his eyes and grinds his teeth, willing himself not to get emotional about it. It's not as if the old wolf had ever cared about him that much. He'd just been an annoyance to Chaos.

"So," chatters Warren, apparently not noticing Seth's falter, "what was it like, with all the shadow charmers? I've heard rumors, but nothing substantial."

Seth's eyes light up. "It was so much fun! I rode a big wolf last night. They taught me how to balance my weight so I didn't fall off as the wolf, pretty sure his name was Brindle-Back, raced. They gave me a bow, and we hunted down La-Heng stags for the pups in the nursery. Everyone is always pranking and having fun. They were all a bit depressed about losing Chaos, so it was a bit less cheerful, but still fun. They sing karaoke every night, and practice singing Disney songs. I learned that Mulan was Chaos's favorite Disney Princess. And don't get me started on their pies! That woman made the best food in the world, I swear to god, I would've gotten fat off her if it hadn't been for their routines."

"Sounds like you had a buttload of fun more than me," chuckles Warren, spreading the nutella and peanut butter onto a slice of bread. "I stayed home and babysat the unicorn."

"Poor you," rasps a voice from the doorway. Seth swivels around in his chair with wide eyes to see Bracken leaning against the frame, one eyebrow cocked teasingly. "I must be so annoying."

"Bracken!" chastises Warren. "You should be getting some shut-eye!"

Bracken cocks his head. "And miss this scintillating conversation? Not for the world." He glances at Seth with those knowing silvery blue eyes. "By the way, your assumption that Chaos doesn't care for you is completely false. The wolf is almost embarrassed by the depth of his affection. He said to Kendra, 'Don't you worry, little fairy. Your unicorn will come for you, and Little Wolf will come for me.' He believes in you."

Seth blushes. Noting his uncomfortableness, Bracken refocuses the conversation. "What did you learn while away? Anything worthwhile?"

"Not really," admits Seth. "I mean, I found out that there's two ways in, but only one way out."

Bracken's silver eyebrows arch. "That's new. Do tell."

Seth swallows down his embarrassment and secret joy that Chaos believes in him. Who'd have guessed? "Well," he explains, "the shadow charmers explained that the men are always sending out people to clean the place. As, like, janitors and slaves. All we need to do is enlist in whatchamacallit. However, that won't get us out. So, we could take our chances with Whiteblood Gardens."

Bracken hisses under his breath. "That isn't necessarily ideal."

"I have no idea what that is," comments Warren, slapping his makeshift sandwich together in frustration.

"Me neither," adds Seth. "Crimson didn't exaggerate much."

"The Whiteblood Gardens isn't really a garden," sighs Bracken, leaning against the doorframe. "Hell would probably be a better name for it. I only know of it because it appears several times in unicornic fairytales similar to the Big Bad Wolf. It's the home of River-Song. Any creature with magic running through their veins – that includes me, Seth, and _definitely_ Kendra – is devoured for trespassing on her lands. Not a good idea. Not a good idea at all."

"Yikes," agrees Warren, screwing the lids back onto the jars with conviction.

"But it's the only choice we have," argues Seth logically. He feels Bracken's eyes land on him. "If everything goes according to plan, we'll have Chaos, King of frigging Shadows with us. He's like, her counterpart, and her brother. If anyone can get us through, it's him."

"Because everything always goes according to plan," sighs Bracken, pinching his nose between two fingers. "Oh, brilliant," he mutters half to himself. "That's just what I need right now."

"What?" asks Warren confusedly, sticking the jars back in the refrigerator.

"This Jadium fellow is taking Kendra on a walk," explains Bracken with a sigh. "And she's not liking what she's seeing."

* * *

"You have quite a taste for décor," comments Kendra sourly as she wanders through the dark hallway. Red drapes the color of freshly drawn blood coat the ceiling and the walls, bound with thick golden ropes and embroidered with dragons along the edges. With the only source of light coming from the exhibits, the room is really shadowy. The plush carpet beneath her feet is an emerald green, and, when taken with the scarlet curtains, the place has a Christmas-special kind of feel to it. Hardwood tables are strategically littered throughout the room, holding skeletons and other spoils of war that Kendra would rather forget. "It's very cheery in here."

"I'm glad you like it," purrs Jadium from one of the shadows, the dim yellow lighting glinting off his catlike eyes. Beside him, one of those… Bakeekees or whatever crouches and mrrows distastefully at Kendra. Jadium narrows his eyes. "It's going to be your new home, after all. Let me show you my collection."

He disappears in a cloud of black smoke. Kendra backs away nervously as one of the tendrils begin to creep over the carpet towards her, the mist almost forming fingers in the darkness. She backs straight into something hard, jostling Kendra considerably. With a chuckle, Jadium wraps his arms around Kendra.

Kendra shoves him off, but jars her wounded shoulder in the process. Wincing, Kendra stands rigid in his teasing embrace. "Come, now," he scolds in Kendra's ear, making her shiver. "Any good man shows their woman their war trophies. And I have many."

As he pulls Kendra over to the first glass casket, she can't help but compare this beast to Bracken once more. If Bracken wants to guide her, he does so through gentle nudges and soft tugs. Jadium might as well just drag her over. At least it'd be more honest.

The glass window reminds Kendra of a museum. Peering through the vertical display, Kendra's mouth drops open. There, on display, are four pairs of gorgeous feathered wings with their wingspans fully outstretched. One is golden, fletched with black stripes along the fluffy downy. The largest, about fifteen feet from wingtip to wingtip, is shimmering shadows of silver laid atop of cool stone grey. The smallest is the color of the dawn, the brown feathers closely resembling a hawk's camouflage. Kendra's favorite are pure white and heavenly, like a dove's wing. Jadium purrs with pleasure at the sight of them.

"These all used to belong to Angelic Generals," he boasts, those long fangs flashing with every word. "I slayed them all, and severed their wings as proof as what I had done. They were all finer in their younger days; now I fear many of them have lost their luster…"

Kendra thinks they're super shiny and pretty, but Jadium is already hauling her along to the next display. In this one, rows upon rows of javelin like teeth sit. Jadium goes on a rant about rare sharks and the splendor of their blood, but Kendra drones him out, her eyes straying back to the feathered wings. Had they really belonged to angels? Is Jadium so terrible that he murders angels for a living? And those had just been the generals, best of the best. How many other wings does he keep stashed in spare closets?

Jadium lugs her onto the next exhibit to brag some more. Inside of this glass, there's a translucent dragon skeleton no larger than Raxtus's. Repulsion rises in Kendra's throat, feeling an awful lot like nausea. Had he killed a baby dragon? Listening to his proud speech, Kendra decides that yes. Yes, Jadium had.

But that's nothing compared to the next trophy he shows her.

"You should find this one exceedingly interesting," Jadium hisses into Kendra's ear. Kendra stares past the glass, dumbstruck. "Unicorns have a way of disputing with my somewhat unharmonious methods. And their blood is just so sweet. You haven't tasted anything like unicorn blood in your mortal life, I swear to you. Picture every dessert in the world, all that deliciousness, packed into a single sip, and you still won't know what it's like to drink from them. Additionally, they put up such fights, especially for those they love." Jadium's voice turns cruel.

Sitting in the display case are shelves of unicorn skulls and horns.

Each unicorn has one horn curling from the center of its equestrian head, and most have at least one more sitting on either side, suspended by thin threads. Tears spill over her eyes at the vacant expressions of the bleached bones and the dull horns collecting dust. Jadium wipes one tear away, sticking the finger in his mouth. Kendra flinches away from him.

Anger alights in Jadium's eyes. "That," he continues, pointing to an empty spot on the rack, "is where I plan to put your Fairy Prince. He'll certainly look more handsome that way. Don't you think?"

* * *

Bracken growls like an animal. "In your nightmares."

* * *

"It was horrible," sobs the girl into Chaos's pelt. Her tears have already soaked through his fur, all the way to the skin, but still he sits patiently. "He – he had unicorn skulls, Chaos. He threatened to kill Bracken. And to skin you. He said he'd make you into my rug. He said he'd –"

"Over my dead body will he lay a hand on Bracken, or myself, if I can help it," growls Chaos, using the tip of his muzzle to tilt her face up a little more so he can see those eyes. "That figurative language _really_ sounds wrong in this situation, but you get my point. I will not allow anything to happen to my OTP. I'm going down with my ship."

"You're not making any sense," Kendra sniffles, but she stops crying, at least for the time being. Chaos studies her face, using his superior eyesight. Occasionally, Kendra reminds him of Clara: fiery, headstrong, and dominant. But then she does something like this, and he remembers sweet little Swift-Song all over again. It's in his nature. Chaos can't stand watching any child cry. Much less either of the Sorensons.

"I often don't make sense," Chaos chuckles, nuzzling Kendra with his forehead. "Consider it my fatal flaw."

Kendra laughs, but it's strained and panicked. "I don't think Seth does you justice, Chaos. You're a lot funnier than he lets on. And a lot nicer."

"D'aww, now that's my real weakness," he admits, flattening his ears. "I don't like watching people cry. It makes me sad and gushy. So I do whatever I need to in order to cheer them up. Being hilarious often helps. And I am _so_ hilarious."

Kendra's laugh is a little more real. She hesitates, confliction clear across her face. Reaching inside of her blouse, Kendra pulls out something long and ivory. Recognizing the spiraling design of the unicorn's horn, Chaos cocks an eyebrow. "Now, look at that," he jokes. "When exactly were you going tell me about this?"

"When I decided I could trust you." Kendra hesitates, her fingers stroking over the curling object. The sharp point glints in the low light, and Chaos can't help but wonder if it would pierce vampire skin. Probably. But Kendra, however brave, wouldn't have the gall to stab anything with her only connection her unicorn.

Her green eyes flash with worry as he doesn't respond, and she quits reclining against Chaos's side. "I _can_ trust you, right?" she asks worriedly, fingering the horn twitchily.

Chaos nods erratically, and then remembers she can't see him. "Of course, little fairy," he assures. "I am more trustworthy than the cow that jumped over the moon. I was just thinking." Chaos's eyes narrow. "If I only had my cloak, I swear, I could make another awesome paintball gun getaway…"

Kendra giggles. "That was pretty awesome."

Chaos looks at her, offended. "Of course it was awesome. If you look up the word awesome in the dictionary, there's my picture there. In fact, I invented the word awesome. True story."

She cuffs his shoulder. "Nothing but lies," Kendra scolds, but her tone still sounds light-hearted. "So, what were these big ideas of yours?" she asks, sounding genuinely intrigued.

Chaos shifts his weight. Kendra shifts along with him, settling into a more comfortable position relaxed on his side. "Well," he says slowly, not trusting himself yet, "I was thinking that maybe I could break through the barriers on Bracken's side."

Kendra stares at him, totally baffled. "You lost me."

Chaos snorts. "Do you really think I was ignorant to the unicorn horn? No! That amount of purity repels me. I noticed it from the moment I felt your presence in this god-awful place. And do you think he's not listening to you? My god, Kendra, you must be _torturing_ him. Somehow, with your peculiar fairykind talents, you've been able to break through the enchantments placed on his horn from your end. But there are enchantments on both sides of the equation. I can only imagine the poor dude's misery right now, having to listen to every one of your thoughts and not being able to console you. Maybe, just _maybe_, I could be able to break through the magic guarding him from you and form a legitimate bond."

Kendra's face contorts with guilt, and she gazes down at Bracken's horn regretfully. "You think I'm torturing him?" she whispers.

"Quite possibly," agrees Chaos reluctantly.

"I had no idea," she breathes. Kendra's voice is fledged with pain, and her expression turns to one of remorse. "I – I'm sorry, Bracken, I didn't know. I'll stop pestering you."

Chaos harrumphs. "The unicorn's probably freaking out now. Kendra, those messages, however painful they may be for him, are the only way Bracken knows that you're still alive. I bet you ten bucks that he'd rather suffer through it than have you fall silent."

She glares at Chaos suspiciously. "You seem to know a lot about Bracken all the sudden."

Pensively, Chaos shrugs. "Once, I was in his place. True love. So wonderful. So short. Enjoy it while it lasts, Kendra. Because another ten bucks on the fact that it won't last forever."

* * *

**Thank you, Chaos. After all that good advice and reassurance and all sorts of other goopy junk, you go and drop a bomb like that. Thank you. I'm not sure what we'd do without you. **

**So, I've found a moderately good cover. You guys don't have to suffer through my horrible drawing. I plan on updating it soon, so bear with me. If you find a better one, please feel free to PM me or review a link.**

**POLL: So, in Time and Time Again, Cadeliah goes onto this huge rant about universal recirculation, which is a recurring theme throughout that entire fanfiction. It's based on the principles that something metaphysical up there doesn't have the time to paint characters and roles individually, so they recycle roles and loves to play out in several different ways. But, in this chapter, Chaos compares Kendra to his children. Is it possible for them to be part of this universal recirculation? If so, what is your reasoning?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	14. Chapter 13

**Okay! Hi! …**

**Didn't get that many reviews last time.**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_I'm sorry_.

Bracken frowns to himself, sensing the misery in Kendra's words and attitude. He waits for her to continue, intrigued by what she could be apologizing for, knowing full well that she will.

_Chaos said I was torturing you a while back. That's… that's why I've cut back. But… I can't do it anymore. So, I'm going to speak to you, even if you hurt. _Her misery grows._ I'm so selfish. I'm sorry. Chaos is nice and all, but there's nothing like entertaining myself that you – that you're – that I'm with you. _

First off, Bracken would call Chaos a lot of things, but "nice" is not one of them. Secondly, he doesn't mind her messages so much as the hopelessness, so it's not a bad thing for Kendra to be contacting him. Leaning his head back, Bracken struggles to puncture the barriers separating them, furrowing his brow in concentration. But, same as always, he fails.

_They took Chaos a little while ago. With chains and guns and all sorts of stuff. I hope he's okay. I mean, he's the King of Shadows; he can take care of himself. But still, he's been so sweet recently. He listens to me. He's told a few stories of his own. Poor guy was so depressed, even before getting captured. He's considering suicide. Just so he can be with his children. I think that's sweet in a sickly sort of way. Sickly sweet. I think you'd agree._

Bracken smiles. Kendra carries on these one-sided conversations for hours, guessing what he'd like or dislike, or what he'd agree to or disagree with. She's been spot on about his strange passion for chocolate cake, but had incorrectly labeled his favorite color as blue. Bracken likes emerald green best of all.

_I wonder why Seth dislikes him so much. Chaos is a bit coarse, true, but he's really sweet. He throws up walls to protect himself from falling in love, because, I quote, "I don't want to fall in love with anything, because anything that falls around me breaks." That's so heartbreaking. I'm pretty sure you would feel sympathetic. Right?_

She concentrates, and Bracken receives flashes of her memories of him. They're all tainted, displaying Bracken with a grandeur he doesn't possess. Bracken sees himself smiling tenderly, chatting with a fairy, standing with the sun setting square behind his head, holding his unicorn horn sword with an ivory gleam, laughing with Brach when the wolf was still a pup, protecting Kendra against Ryan the hunter, holding her as she sobbed over Cadeliah's dead body, glaring fiercely at Mark the Retarded Eternal, and, last but certainly not least, eating a Pop-Tart.

_Right._ Kendra sounds sure this time. _You'd feel sympathetic._

Bracken closes his eyes. _I would, Kendra. You bet I would._

* * *

Cadeliah's mist gathers, and she opens her physical eyes. Squinting against the light, she can just barely make out the form of the Fairy King, reclining against the rocks.

Everything is different when she's physical. The light has a pain. The world has features. She can see; not mentally feel, but actually see. She can feel. She can touch. Everything is so odd. Like reality gone wrong. Her eyes blink constantly as she focuses on her longtime friend.

"Kingbee," greets Cadeliah by his old nickname. "What have you done this time?"

The Fairy King shrugs. "I just learned what happened to Brambling," he says with a deathly quiet voice. "I needed to go to someone other than my wife for comfort."

"So," muses Cadeliah, "you went to enlist the assistance of a shadow charmer – hello, Crimson – to revive an old, dead friend and tear her away from her family instead of simply going to one of your daughters. Tactful as ever, I see."

The Fairy King's smile is frail. "Well, when you put it like that…"

"I'm just messing with you," scolds Cadeliah playfully. On her old muscles, she shifts her weight. "I am always ready when you need to speak with me."

"I'm sorry for what she did to you," sighs the Fairy King, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "So much has happened since I was shipped off – the fall of the blixes, my virgin son probably soon to be wed, and now this. It's belittling. I'm sorry for any trouble my wife caused you. She's… well, you know what she's like."

"I do," agrees Cadeliah, cocking her head. "Which is why I have already forgiven her."

"You shouldn't have." The Fairy King shakes his head of white hair sadly. "You really shouldn't. I don't understand how you can look upon the slayer of your Soul-Mate with such dignity. If anyone laid a claw on _my_ wife, there'd be hell to pay."

"Such profanities for a Fairy King," chides Cadeliah. "And why should I be irritated? I am with Brambling now. I am with my pups now. I finally have found peace. Why should I take out my anger on those who still carry the burden of the living when I have all I need? It is a mere act of decency."

The Fairy King shakes his head in admiration. "Truly, you are a wolf greater than I will ever be. Carry your peace, Cadeliah. I release your soul and return you to your pups. Goodbye, my dear friend! When you come again, bring with you the dawn of a new age!"

* * *

"Lucky girl gets to see the master," babbles one of the poor old ladies. Kendra glances at her sympathetically. She's been pretty pissed at all of the maids until Chaos had told her that they'd all been past wives, drained dry by Jadium's animal desire.

"Lucky girl," praises another. "Great feast! Entertainment! The master likes Mondays! He likes Mondays much! Lucky girl gets to sit with him! Dine with him!"

"Dine?" repeats Kendra, and her stomach growls. Even though Chaos had insisted on giving her all of his rations, the daily meals are something Kendra would usually eat for a meager snack. The thought of actual food makes her mouth water. "As in, food?"

"Yes, yes, food!" approves a particularly crinkly old woman. Her eyes go dreamy. "Piles upon piles of fatty deliciousness, every dessert you could dream of! Explosions in your mouth! Amazingness! Awe! Food! Of course, the master does not enjoy his own meals, even if we cook them for him. The master eats strange things. Strange things indeed."

"Like what?" questions Kendra. Her robes drag over the plushy carpeted ground as the women escort her through the hallways. She'd given up on memorizing the paths taken long ago, instead focusing on the shadows and searching for the Bakeneko. Apparently, they're everywhere, according to Chaos.

"Like…." The old woman concentrates. "Can't remember. Strange food."

"Right," whispers Kendra to herself. She doesn't speak to the old ladies again until they reach a furnished door. For a moment, she thinks it's the one leading to those magnificent gardens. But the leaves curling over the dark wood are copper, not gold. Flanking either side of the door, two chiefly bulky Bakeneko sit. Their tails twitch with annoyance as the old women waddle up to the door, but don't do a thing as their withered hands push open the doors. Kendra winces at the sudden amount of light streaming through the door.

She can't help a gasp of amazement escaping her lips.

It looks like a scene straight from a fantasy movie, with blood red drapes and snow white tablecloths. Fancy silver goblets are matched with elegant silverware on every table. The usually dirty and gruff army men are puffed up for the occasion; those that aren't wearing suits have donned bow ties and combed their hair. Lights are focused on an empty hardwood stage in the front of the massive room. In a giant box higher than the rest of the seating, Kendra spots Jadium's distinguishable pale features and malicious grin.

He smiles down at her, displaying those grotesquely white fangs. Using one long finger, he curls it, beckoning her forward. Kendra resists the urge to barf, realizing that he's sitting at a table for two.

"Just go up to the master's table," whispers one of the old ladies. "Sit down. Slap away any needy men. If the master sees them mistreating you he will put an end to it. So kind. The master is so kind."

And then, like ghosts, they're all gone.

Kendra hesitates in the doorway a second longer, goaded forward by a Bakeneko's impatient snarl. Avoiding eye contact from any of the crude men's smiles, she begins to navigate through the labyrinth of tables and silverware, keeping the box as her general direction. The hungry glares of the men all itch at her. Kendra resists the urge to hide behind her hair. She's never had this much attention before, nothing like this; there was Bracken, of course, but his staring was focused on adoration and love. These men… they're animals. Kendra sure as hell doesn't want to know exactly how primitive they can go.

Finally, Kendra skips up the steps two at a time, bunching her long white dress in one hand. The carpet here is thin and worn down by feet coming and going. Jadium's taunting smile is leering, and he beckons Kendra forward.

"Come and eat, sweetie," he purrs. "I know you're hungry."

"Only because you've been starving me," counters Kendra, her eyes flashing with pure hatred. "Who is to blame for that?"

Jadium grins, unperturbed. "Come and eat, darling. Come and eat."

"Give me one reason to," she snaps, her anger coming out in fluttery bursts. But, slowly, Kendra lowers herself into the padded chair. It's actually quite comfortable, made like it'd been carved exactly for her. She still eyes Jadium suspiciously, but, slowly, she allows every muscle to relax.

"Why are you doing this?" Kendra demands.

Jadium grins. "You did an extraordinary job in our little session today. A definite lessening in smart remarks. I keep to my word: when you do well, you get rewarded. That's the deal."

"What if I blow it?" challenges Kendra feistily, glaring at him in defiance. "What if I act totally out of line? What happens then?"

Jadium's eyes narrow, but he maintains his aura of self-control. "Then you'll suffer the consequences. Quite simple. I thought you'd have learned that by now."

Kendra's about to retort with something smart, like, "No." But then the music begins to play, like a cheesy circus, and the stage lights brighten. Nothing actually happens, though; just music. Jadium doesn't even look up, but a servant girl appears from the shadows. The servant girl quickly draws Kendra's attention.

She was whitish locks that tumble untamed over her shoulders, streaked with gold and an occasional brown band. Her round, heart-shaped face fits well with her chubby cheeks and broad smile. The tight servant clothing accents her rounded hourglass figure and illuminates her petite height. Her pale skin is almost as light as Jadium's. Two dark brown eyes glitter with playful mirth, and Kendra has to mask the look of recognition on her own face.

Cassandra.

"Hello," squeaks the little owl girl adorably. "Can I get you anything to order?"

Jadium smiles pleasantly at the childish owl lady, and Kendra resists a shiver. What… what is Cassandra doing here? An answer clicks into Kendra's mind, but it's a stupid one, at best. Maybe, maybe Bracken's set a plan to get her. Maybe this is step one. Kendra refuses to let herself hope, however ridiculous the idea may seem of Cassandra turning to the dark side.

"Tell the chefs I'll have my usual, prepared after dinner," he orders, those golden eyes skating to Kendra's. "And what will you have, sweetie? I advise the pasta with clams. I hear it's delicious."

"Thanks," says Kendra dryly. "I'll have the biggest thing you've got, waitress."

Cassandra's smile is beatifically horrific. "Of course, ma'am. You're practically skin and bones, poor thing. I'll tell the cooks to make it extra fatty."

Normally, Kendra would be appalled at ordering anything fatty, but she sees Cassandra's true interest. Her eyes narrow, and she plays the part with mounting hope. "Not that it's any business of yours, but you know how much they feed us prisoners here."

Cassandra's eyes widen, but she tries to keep it professional. "Prisoner?"

Kendra nods. "Prisoner. I get about a Pop-Tart today."

"Ah." Cassandra scribbles down a last note on her waiter's pad, and sticks the pen behind her ear again. She smiles once more at Kendra. "Well, then, we'll make your dinner an extra special one, dearie. Congrats with the master."

And then, just like that, Cassandra struts back into the darkness.

* * *

"Everyone, don't be ashamed or frightened to speak up," announces Bracken as all of the wolves settle into the family room. The last time they'd all been here together, Cadeliah had issued her will. It had been a bittersweet moment. Now, as Seth looks around the room, there isn't a scrap of sweet emotions in any of their grim faces. At some point in time, they'd all forged a connection with his sister. "Everything helps!"

"We have discovered something," comments Brach. He glances at the pup by his side. "Flash-Foot and I. Basically, that barrier is stronger than I've ever come in contact with, and I've taken a few accidental trips to the Fairy Kingdom. Once to your sister's room, Bracken. Scared the crap out of her. Anyway, there's no way we could get through it, even with storms of wolves casting their strongest spells. Too tough. However, we did see a way that the staff enter and exit." He hesitates, gesturing towards the pup reassuringly. "Take it from here, little pup."

Flash-Foot nods. He stands, and Bracken's eyes shine with interest as the bird wolf begins to speak. "There we saw tons of people going in and out. They all were beefy and huge and Russian, with grungy outfits and caustic laughs. Russian rednecks. The trucks wore the insignia of that cult that's been running around, just like we feared. So, basically, they are allied together."

"Good, good," whispers Bracken, narrowing his eyes. The unicorn leans forward, lacing his hands together, his expression one of extreme focus.

"I found something, while working with the BBM," volunteers Seth next. Heart fluttering, he stands. "Chaos is also imprisoned by the same Jadium dude, but I'm pretty sure you knew that already. Chaos has a complicated past, true, but he will be protecting Kendra, possibly with his life. If we make it in there, we've got to approach him first before we can even consider getting near Kendra. Otherwise, he'll go wild and rip our throats out."

"Not good," concludes Fiona. She cocks her head, and Bracken's eyes narrow even further. "But I have some information to add, as well." She stands, and Seth collapses into his chair again. "We found a dead body near the Himalayas. Who would it be but poor Matthew Green, the boy who abducted Kendra in the first place? On further scanning, we found traces of drugs in his bloodstream. And his bloodstream was jacked up, too. Not completely human. Anyway, our scientists are still working to identify the potions used on him."

"I could send a few unicorns to assist you," offers Bracken. "That's more up our alley."

Fiona's eyes sparkle. "Well, I'm not done yet, but that would be a brilliant idea. We'll talk more later. Anyway, so, based on evidence collected by Kendra, I'm going to say that our antagonist somehow drugs his victims into believing him some sort of a god."

"Not good," decides Seth.

"Nope," agrees Thunder-Bolt. "I guess it's my turn. I sent a party up to the edge of the Whiteblood Gardens to try and commune with River-Song. We were initially unsuccessful, until one of my officers stepped on a favorite flower of hers. She flew down from the trees and demanded to know our intention. After much debate and bickering, she said that, so long as Chao, her brother, accompanies anyone, she'll permit trespassers exiting what she called the Castle of Cruor."

Bracken's eyes narrow. "Cruor is Latin for blood."

"Doesn't sound good," agrees Thunder-Bolt. "The more I learn about this mystery place, the worse it sounds. River-Song seemed sympathetic about Kendra's plights, but she expressively refused to go anywhere near the Castle of Cruor. It's not sounding good. At all."

Bracken sighs, but it's more of a calculating sigh than a hopeless sigh. Seth finds it hard to meet those intense silvery blue eyes. "Right. Alright. Who next?"

Boro stands, and he looks like a king. "I've been hiding this thus far," he announces with a note of shame in his melodic voice, "but I believe I have a way to contact Chaos. See, he and I are Dream Walkers. We bear the curse of Kings, with our purple eyes. And that makes it increasingly easy for us to contact another. I've tried to contact Kendra, to no avail. However, I believe that, if we can somehow alert Chaos, then maybe, just maybe, we can contact them both."

"Brilliant," whispers Bracken. "Brilliant."

"So, we've got the particulars," growls Brach. For once, those pinkish orange eyes seem deadly serious, and his monarch butterfly wings fan the air in controlled sweeps. "Now we need to nail down the plan."

"Right." Bracken leans back in his chair, his eyes nearly crossing with concentration. "A plan."

"I say we send a small number in," suggests Fiona. "Maybe just three or four, maybe even less. I say the rest are causing a distraction elsewhere; it doesn't need to be directly related. Maybe the wolves could be taking down that wretched society in general. But the rest of us should be on the outside, ready to bring them out. I suggest that a party of wolves – maybe including Boro, Thunder-Bolt, and myself – should be waiting to carry Kendra to safety. By the sounds of it, she's not doing so good. We need to get in there."

"If my idea about contacting Chaos works, we'll have an inside mind," adds Boro. "So getting lost or not being able to locate the pair inside the labyrinth of tunnels will be the least of our worries."

"And we won't have to worry about being spotted!" Seth shoots to his feet. "Crimson gave me those cloaks, remember? They're unspottable. Or something." He hesitates. "But… I only have two. Will two do?"

"As long as the rest are wolves, yes," agrees Flash-Foot, apparently warming to the idea. "We can shadow-walk, remember?"

"So, we know what to do!" triumphs Bracken. His eyes gleam with excitement. "And not a moment too late! Well, maybe a bit late. She's been in there for almost two weeks now. Brave Kendra. But she'll be out soon! Home in time for Christmas!"

"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched," warns a new voice. A pretty curl with whitish gold curls literally melts from the shadows, her tight uniform. Her black eyes glint. "Caution is always useful. But I can get you in."

Seth bolts to his feet in surprise. "Cassandra?"

Cassandra smiles evilly. "They know me as Carly. I've got a way to get two of you in. Your inside help won't be coming from Chaos, boys. Welcome to the party. Cassandra's come to town." She frowns. "Or… Carly, I guess."

* * *

"How interesting," muses Chaos to himself. His eyes rake over the crowd of men bellowing out crude laughter. He sees Kendra in the box next to the monster. Those green eyes are wide with fright for him. She extends a hand.

The chains bit into his sides, and the steel collar constricts around his neck. Blood already stains the stage, perfect droplets of scarlet littering the wood. The men in the crowd may with laughter as a human dressed in all black storms up on stage, slapping a hooked whip across his gloved hand. All that Chaos can see of his skin are two little beady eyes, glaring from inside his mask.

"Let me guess," growls Chaos sarcastically, "I'm the entertainment." He pauses, thinking. "I've got a mean soprano. _And_ I can tap dance! What would you like, boys?"

* * *

**So now a lot of hope is riding on Chaos's shoulders. And he isn't doing so well, if you've noticed. His wit is as sharp as ever, of course, but he still… isn't doing so good.**

**Also, things are going down. Like always. Hehe. Yay. **

**POLL: How on earth did Cassandra manage to infiltrate Jadium's secret society, and how long will it last before someone blows it?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	15. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the REALLY long wait! At least, on my terms as a long wait!**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Stop that," hisses Chaos, flinching away from Kendra's hands. His fur moves out of her reach in the darkness, and he altogether fades into nothingness. The pitch blackness hides his striped fur. Those long, usually silky hairs are so matted with dried blood and gore that it forms a crusty sheet rather than a pelt. Every time she touches one of his hot, wet wounds, Chaos starts away from her and complains.

"Hold still," Kendra scolds, "or else you'll be doomed to have infected scratches. That would suck."

Again, she presses the damp cloth to his cuts in the darkness. The slashes made by the cruel man's whip carve from the tips of his shoulder bones down to his hips. Most of the skin had been beaten right off, and the majority of his back is furless and bare. Blood runs like rivers through his remaining hairs. It soaks her hands, coating them in the warm liquid. Kendra swallows her disgust and dabs at the edges of a particularly large gouge reaching along his spine. Twisting the cloth in her hands, she lets the blood-tainted water into the spare bowl and dips the fabric back in their clean water.

"It's a waste of water," whines Chaos. "We only get one of those a day!"

"I can be thirsty," growls Kendra through gritted teeth. Gingerly, she washes out another of the long marks. He hisses as the cold water runs along his hot flesh, but, to Kendra's satisfaction, he doesn't move. Every breath is laced with poorly concealed pain. Kendra's eyebrows knit together in sympathy, tracing the outline of slice after slice on his skin. Chaos's breathing gets more and more labored, and, to her dismay, he only gets more fevered.

Frightened, Kendra begins to panic, dabbing at the wounds with abandon. "I've got an idea," she encourages. "Why don't you tell me about your family?"

"Bad idea," snaps Chaos as Kendra's finger accidently swipes over a raw wound.

"It'll get your mind off your cuts," she soothes, warming to the idea of Chaos telling a story. "Also, I'm curious. You talk about them, but I'm not really sure who they are."

Chaos's negativity wafts through the air. "Can't we just use the unicorn horn?" he protests.

Kendra shakes her head firmly, glancing down at the horn in her blouse. "You remember what happened last time."

Before the humiliating whipping Chaos had endured, the old wolf had tried to remove the boundaries between Bracken and herself. He'd gingerly taken the horn in his fanged mouth, and then had begun writhing in pain. The memory of his agonized wails echoes in Kendra's mind. Apparently, Bracken had not been so onboard with this whole idea. All Chaos had been able to receive from her Fairy Prince was: "GIVE ME BACK TO HER." So, evidently, they're not finding escape that way. Chaos had claimed that the unicorn had purposely been inflicting that pain on him, but whether that's true or more of the wolf's bogus whining, she isn't sure.

"Right." Chaos sighed. "You wouldn't have even recognized me in those days. I was a fit, energetic thing. Always a-smiling. Bleh. No stripes, even. Pure white with these _gor-ge-ous_ eyes. A favorite among the ladies, might I add. However, even back in the Golden Days, I was a bit of an outcast. I had no interest in being the Wolf King, which was surprising to many of my peers. Oh, don't look at me like that. Purple eyes is a royal trait. I was firstborn. Well, sort of. I was viewed as a sexy loner with an acid tongue. Despite the attention turned on me, I never felt any real emotion other than indifference towards females."

He stays silent, brooding over his past. Chaos has that sort of aura that he may never speak again. Kendra's heart pulls. She senses something is about to happen in his autobiography, but she isn't sure she wants to know what.

"Until…?" prompts Kendra all the same. Her fingers delicately wipe up the last of the blood welling around a skinless area. Her fingers graze over the DEVIL scars along his flanks. Gently, she swipes a fingertip along the bone exposed on his hindquarters. It comes up dry. Is that good or bad?

"Until I met Firefly." There's an alien note of adoration that makes Kendra pause in Chaos's voice. "I was on one of my long wanders, just walking for the sake of walking. Then I found the loveliest cliff in the world. Oh, it was so beautiful! The stones glittered with miniscule diamonds embedded in the grey rock. It was so high, birds flew beneath you, and the drop was so long that you could fall for minutes and not hit the bottom. Though it was a struggle to reach the top, it was so worth it. And the stars that night, Kendra. The stars." He lets out a contented sigh. "They were like a painting, just faint glows of white, blue, and purple lights in the blackest of black skies. The smaller stars blurred together to form packs in the sky, and not a single cloud covered the pale full moon. It looked like an eye, that moon, watching us. Because I had not been there for ten minutes gazing up at the sky before a she wolf crawled up with a strange manner, the likes of which I had never encountered before.

"Ah, Firefly! She was undaunted by my rank and entitlements. She treated me like a creature with a mind and a dignity, unlike the sultry she wolves that would make grabs for my love. She was not afraid to sass me back, but was also not afraid to maintain a cheerful friendship. She laughed and welcomed me to what she called her cliff. I asked, and she said that she came up here every night for at least an hour to look at the stars. That was impressive to me. She knew who I was, and she treated me like an equal all the same. I was curious, at first, but I never imagined the romance soon to come."

Chaos falls silent again. Kendra wonders if she'd jabbed him in the cut again.

"I returned," he continues eventually with a slow tone of voice, "the next day. I had appreciated her company. It was very different from the irritating bickering of my siblings, and yet more honest that the petty woes of the she wolves. She seemed surprised to see me up there, but she engaged in lively conversation again. One of the last subjects in our communication was my job. I told her about the aggravating troubles of younger siblings eager for a throne I did not want, and about my adventures hiding from my suitresses. She laughed, and was very patient with my pent-up anger being at last released. Then I asked her, and she told me all about the troubles of a normal life. No, not normal; she was at the bottom of the ranking table in her pack. It fascinated me, and, from that moment on, I decided I rather have an ordinary family than one torn apart over a monarchy.

"Slowly, our tentative friendship blossomed into something more. I began to look forward to the end of the day to see her again. However, I do not believe that anything would've been triggered if it hadn't been for my cloak. I had brought it every day since the first, and she'd almost taken an affection to my cape, of all things. But one day I'd taken it off. It'd been a particularly steamy night, and the combined heat of my thick fur and the fabric wasn't doing me wonders. And so I lay it beside me. Firefly had brought along her younger sister, a little annoying thing with vivid orange eyes the exact color of hers. The pup played with my cloak for a time, before curling up around her sister's legs. We talked, and a comet soared through the sky. But, when it was time to return to my palace, I forgot the cloak. I was halfway home, a thirty minute sprint, before I remembered it."

Chaos shivers violently underneath Kendra's fingers. She pauses, the wet cloth centimeters from his skin. With a sigh, Chaos continues. "I didn't know why at the time, but there was an icky feeling in the pit of my stomach. That prompted me to race forward with even more strength, and I lessened the fifteen minute run to a mere… seven or eight. Or something. Long time. By the time I arrived, I saw only enough to see Firefly's little sister trip over the folds of my cloak and stumbles dangerously close to the edge of the massive cliff.

"There she teetered for a few seconds, those frightened orange eyes so very much like Firefly's. I stood, frozen as Firefly, for a few seconds. But as the pup began to lean over the massive canyon, I leapt into action with my signature magnificence. I lunged forward to the cliff, and swung myself off the edge. I was hanging only by the claws digging into the stone sides and the paws hooked on the edge. Using my nose, I shoved the pup back towards her sister. A bit roughly, I'll admit, but I was hanging off the edge of a massive cliff. Cut me some slack. She stumbled back to the protection of her sister. Firefly nuzzled her, but then her terrified orange eyes met mine, and those beautiful dark ears went slack. My hind legs clawed futilely at the side of the cliff, struggling to maintain my balance. I met her eyes one last time. She shrieked my name and flew forward, but I had already lost my footing in one of my front paws, suspended only by the weight in his damn thing." He moves in the darkness, presumably lifting a foot.

"And so you fell," whispers Kendra, breaking her work to rub Chaos behind the ear.

"Yes," he agrees. "I fell. Such funny things we'll do for love. And on that downward spiral, I thought. Not about my brief and unhappy life, not about all the things I could've done but wasn't able to, but all the things that I had been able to. I thought about that little pup. I couldn't remember her name then, and I sure as hell can't now. I thought about how she would grow up and live her life because I sacrificed mine. I wondered if Firefly would forget me, and find the mate of her dreams. I thought about her having pups. That thought filled me with disgust and hate. I realized, falling towards my death, that I had fallen in love with the one wolf in the world that I could never have."

Kendra's fingers pause over Chaos's fur. "That's… that's really romantic."

Chaos snorts. "Maybe when I talk about it like this. But I was plunging to my death. This was just my subconscious. Most of me was all: AHHHHHH. But yes, I suppose you could say I was romantic. The King and the Street-rat. Sounds like topsy-turvy Aladdin. The movie. Not the time-travelling wolf. I was going to die, it didn't really matter what I thought anymore. But miracles do happen, I suppose. Fueled with my fear of dying and my love for this beautiful she wolf, I called my cloak to me. Firefly later explained her puzzlement as the cloak picked itself off the ground and fluttered after me like a bewitched crow. It latched itself around my neck and I used it as a freaking parachute. I mean, come on. A wolf using a parachute? It was glorious."

Kendra giggles as she wrings the water out of the bloody cloth. The water seems to laugh too as the droplets dribble down into the bowl. "You should be a comedian, Chaos," she compliments sincerely. "I'd come to everything."

"Oh, they just come and go." Chaos makes a noise like a zipper being pulled. "I'm a little ball of randomness. Ask me to make a script and I'm like _durr, what's my name?_ I am very hilarious otherwise."

Kendra gently pulls a cut apart so that she can get into all the little nooks in his flesh. "Continue, please."

"Firefly thought I was dead. She started sobbing, and apparently realized she loved me, too. Firefly collapsed on the ground in wild bouts of sobbing. Her sister at first comforted my lovely Firefly, but then grew bored as all little children do. She wandered up to the edge of the cliff despite her close call, and remarked, 'I didn't know your boyfriend could fly.' And I was flying! With wings! Glossy black wings! They carried me high into the sky, those things. My first act of Shadow-Charming. Very cool. I swooped up like a dark angel, looming overhead and blocking out the moon with my majestic wings. She gasped and stood, and whispered, 'An angel…?'

"I of course responded with, 'Nah, King of Angels. Bow down, peasant.'" Chaos chuckles bittersweetly. "She sobbed and threw herself at me. If I hadn't been so magnificently buff, Firefly would've thrown both of us back into the chasm, and I'm not totally sure I would've cared. On my new wings, I lowered her back to the ground. Her sister was very confused and asked many of questions, which I must say I ignored completely and utterly. I looked into her eyes and she looked into mine, and we stayed there, all night long, underneath the moon's eye and the star's embrace, just falling more and more in love. That day, I renounced my claim on the throne. This was met with much pizazz and confusion. My younger brother rose to power, something I regret daily. But I was already gone, ready to start my new life in the ghetto with Firefly. I took with me only my knowledge and my lucky cloak.

"Her parents couldn't have been more accepting of me. They'd apparently heard a bunch about the mysterious King residing atop the cliff, and had secretly been shipping us as a couple. I treated them with more respect than I have ever shown to any other person before. It opened a new doorway in my thinking. But love progressed, and soon, Firefly and I were official mates."

"That's so adorable," coos Kendra, a fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. As similar as Chaos's characters may be to the ones playing out in her love story, the plot is very different. Different and exciting. However, some part of Kendra begins to shrink as she realizes that, if his mate still was around today, then she would've heard about Firefly before now.

Chaos chuckles, his flesh vibrating beneath her fingers. "Cadeliah appeared the night before we found out Firefly was carrying children. She was a beautiful thing in her younger days, with that brown fur sparkling gold. Firefly was so jealous. She mistook my profound respect for the Soul Bearer to be affection, silly wolf. Cadeliah babbled on about a storm on the horizon all night long. She was so frightened and so sad. She knew that, a mere century later, her family would be slaughtered and the Wolf King I had left behind would lead his kingdom to near extinction. She kept repeating things like, 'They forgive you' and 'It wasn't your fault, poor child'. Later, those would be what kept my sanity tied down."

Kendra's hands pull back from Chaos's pelt, and she sets the cloth on the ground. Her eyes sweep through the darkness redundantly, trying to pick up even the slightest prick of light. "How do you feel? Are you okay?"

"Are you finished?" Chaos sounds surprised. "I didn't even notice."

Kendra cracks a smile. "It's a pretty bang-up job; I didn't have anything to stich your skin back together with, or to bandage you. But it's clean of dirt. That's something, at least. You were a bit preoccupied storytelling to notice it, though."

"Ah." Chaos's voice is bitterly approving. "Clever girl. Making me forget about the pain I feel physically by inflicting greater pain mentally. Very clever."

Kendra gawks in the direction of his voice, horror creating a lump in her throat. Her eyes widen, and, out of instinct, her hand flies to Bracken tucked inside her shirt. "No! Just – no! I would never do that!"

Kendra feels the piercing gaze of the weary old wolf studying her shrewdly from the darkness. "Regardless, it worked, now didn't it?" he points out loftily. "Hold a little tighter on that innocence, Kendra. It's beginning to slip away from you."

* * *

Bracken growls suddenly, cutting off the conversation. Kendra's hurt emotions flow over him like a river, fanning his anger. He feels her fingers close around the horn, and senses her betrayal as if it is his own. A snarl picks at the corners of his lips, and a growl thunders through his body.

"Uhh…" Cassandra's confused voice rouses Bracken, but he doesn't yet open his eyes. "Does he do that often?"

"Yes," answers Seth before Bracken can form a response. "It means something's happened to Kendra, most of the time. Then, when he leans back and closes his eyes, she's talking to him and making him sad. When his fingers are fidgeting and his eyes dart everywhere, she's off at a torture session without him. When she's at a torture session with him, he closes his eyes and growls. Like an animal. When she's asleep, he's asleep. Most of the time. Sometimes Boro casts sleeping spells. But not often. Sometimes, he says things that don't make sense. If he does that, he's talking to Kendra. Even though she can't hear him."

"I _can_ hear _you_," points out Bracken, half-opening his eyes to fix them on the sheepish shadow charmer. "And let me say, that is surprisingly thorough."

Seth shrugs, noticing the eyes of everyone trained on him with a bashful blush. "You don't like to talk about it, so I have to gather what information I can to know how she's doing. Sorry if it's wrong."

"It's not wrong," assures Cassandra with a dazzling smile. Even Bracken can appreciate her perfect white teeth; he just can't admire them. "I think it's sweet. But why did you do that now, Bracken?"

Bracken sighs, letting Kendra's emotions roll over him. "Chaos insulted her," he explains. "It hit deeper than I think he realized it would. I hate to say it, but it was over an odd subject, too. Admittedly, he was just lashing out after letting himself be vulnerable around her. Reinstating his tough-guy attitude. But I could tear his head from his neck now."

"Let's _not_," decides Boro with a nervous laugh. "That would really tick off some BBM shadow charmers."

"That's the last thing we need right now," agrees Brach, nodding his white head. Those elegant fairy wings fan the air. Though he tries to make it subtle, Bracken is absolutely fascinated in the Fairy Wolf's blooming abilities. In a crooked sort of way, he's Kendra's son as much as he is Cadeliah's, and that… is _odd_ for Bracken, in lack of a better word. The Fairy Wolf is like family to most of the household, but, then again, so is Bracken, just differing types of family. He'd never felt any real competition for Kendra's adoration until the wolf had revealed his loyalty to her with the project. Not romantically, just who-can-be-more-useful. And it's been hard that, thus far, Brach has been a much bigger help than Bracken.

"How did you get here, Cassandra?" questions Fiona, obviously not even the slightest bit interested in Bracken's dilemma. "More importantly, what do you have to share?"

Cassandra shrugs. "Ethan can do this cool thing. Like… hmm. To heck if I know. But it's basically like Winking for dark creatures."

"Winking?" wonders Seth, cocking his head. A puzzled frown mars his boyish appearance.

"Winking is making your molecules become pure light energy," explains Brach. "Literally, you get turned into light. But the light goes anywhere, and it's ridiculously dangerous. Ridiculously fast, too, and it can go everywhere. It's very hard to control. I can do it. Did it once on accident. Couldn't walk straight for a week. River-Song can do it successfully, which makes her a formidable opponent."

Bracken's interest grows on the subject, especially concerning his Queen. "Can you Wink to Kendra?" he demands.

Brach shakes his head. "Too risky. I'd only end up getting captured myself."

Bracken nods, having anticipated his answer. "Just checking. That would be extremely handy."

"Ahem." Cassandra draws the attention back to herself. Bracken turns to meet those dark, dark eyes. They twitch and rotate, but, because of the absence of pupils, he can't really determine who exactly she's staring at. "I have crucial information, guys," she intones. "Not only have I seen with these two very eyes Kendra safe and sound, but I can get a couple of you guys in."

Bracken straightens. The couch beneath him squeals in protest. Her announcement is met with "Whats?"' and "Hows?" and Brach shouting, "CHEESEBURGER" for no determined reason. She lifts a pale hand to silence the reaction, waiting calmly until everyone silences, like a preschool teacher.

"Good," she approves when it's silent. "The Hunters, as they're calling themselves, are a bit like the Phillips Cooperation, but on a bigger scale. They want to abolish all intelligent life other than humanity. Not fun for me. Not fun at all. However, with a minor distraction spell, we managed to mask our wings –"

"What?" bursts in Seth rudely.

Cassandra blinks, distracted. "Um, distraction spell. The big one shielding all of your eyes is fading. Warren, you stopped taking milk yesterday, amirite? Yeah. Cadeliah cast a big distraction spell. Basically, when you don't have the milk, everything you look at is warped. So, in order to replace the things you can't see, your brain puts ordinary images there. That's why Kendra didn't need milk long before everyone else; she could see through the distractor spell. We just duplicated it for our wings. Anyway, we got in. I was a waiter, Zia was a maid, and Alec enlisted in their ranks. I saw Kendra. She was skin and bones, poor thing. She got a big meal to fatten her up."

"Is she okay?" questions Bracken immediately, stemming the flow of other inquiries. "Is she hurt?"

Cassandra smiles warmly at him, that childish face splitting into a grin. "She's fine. A bit gaunt and _very_ pale, but fine. She was smart-talking the Jadium fellow as fierily as ever. Is fierily even a word? The mysteries of life, with Tim and Moby."

Flash-Foot cocks his head and grins. "I got that reference."

"You said you could get a small number in," butts in Fiona, cutting to the chase. "How?"

Cassandra's eyes narrow. "I can maybe smuggle a few people in the back of my little car that we're using, and then steal them away into Jadium's gardens until nightfall. Three, at the most. Ideally two. I can't do much more than give you a map and get you in. Possibly slip you some information about their whereabouts. I know it's not much, but it's all I can contribute."

Bracken's face is covered with a huge grin. Agilely, he jumps to his feet, suddenly taller than everyone else in the room. "Not much?" he exclaims cheerfully. "This is all we need! My god, Cassandra, you're a lifesaver!"

Cassandra blushes, those pale cheeks going the deepest cherry red. "Don't do that, you're making me nervous," she complains. "Everything's going to go wrong now, I swear to you…"

* * *

"I know what you're thinking," calls Boro from behind Fiona. She freezes in her tracks. "And no, no you can't."

The evening sun is slipping behind the trees fringing the yard, and the orange light casts queerly beautiful shadows over the blossoming fairy gardens. One by one, the stars are beginning to appear, like little eyes to watch her. The fairies drift aimlessly throughout the plant life, not even bothering to glance away from their reflections in the dark fountain water. Ice coats Fiona stomach. Slowly, she turns to meet her mate drifting through the garden towards her.

In the vivid sunlight, Boro looks so handsome, her chest aches. Her pulse beats a little faster at the sight of his golden fur reflecting the auburn light as he lopes over towards her.

As always, wit is Fiona's primary defense. "Can't do what? Relieve myself outside of the house? I'm blaming you when Seth's mum jumps down my throat."

Boro rolls those expressive lavender eyes in exasperation. He steps forward and presses the side of his muzzle against Fiona's face in a gentle greeting. "You know what I mean," he growls in authority, stepping back, protectiveness firm on his face. "You are not getting anywhere near the Castle of Cruor."

Fiona bares her teeth in defiance. "That's not your call."

"It is." His eyes gleam. "You are not getting anywhere close to Russia. Not when it's so close."

A snarl rips through Fiona. "Do you expect me to just sit back and wait as a bunch of male idiots rescue Kendra?" she roars at him, louder than necessary. "They'll screw it up! They'll get captured themselves! If I don't go, there's no telling that my human bestie will ever make it out of there alive!"

"Number one, she's fairykind," corrects Boro. He steps forward. "And number two, I wouldn't let anything happen to her, either. Even if you did come, we're going to be stomping around the borders and raising hell. It'll be boring."

"I can raise hell!" snarls Fiona. "Just you watch me!"

Something akin to fear gleams in his eyes. He skirts back a step or two. Finally, after an intense stare-down, Boro crumbles. His ears go slack and those lilac eyes gaze down at her imploringly. "Please?" he whimpers, cocking his golden head. Those purple eyes glitter in the emerging starlight. "If not for me, then for them?" Gingerly, he taps Fiona's side with his nose, and a tickle runs through her bones.

Fiona breaks. "For them," she sighs submissively, a growl still rumbling in her chest. "But if Kendra comes back in a body bag, so help me, I will rip your head from your body with the help of four little puppies."

* * *

**My only reflection on this chapter? This gon' be good.**

**POLL: This week for the poll, I have something important. Most of the reviews I've been receiving have been… not very substantial, and a bit worrying. True, most of you are doing fabulously, but not all of you. So, IF YOU ARE GOING TO REVIEW AT ANY POINT WHILE READING THIS FANFICTION, let it be this. Give me a sound analysis of my writing. Tell me what you liked, and what you didn't. Pure flames aren't helpful, but neither are just compliments. **

**Thanks a lot, everybody! All your inputs mean so much to me! I'm so pathetic that I go over and read reviews at least fifty times to try and grasp what you meant and how to improve! I'm really, really sad!**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	16. Chapter 15

**This is going down. **

**To Guuuuuuest: Yes, I am killing you on purpose. You're speaking to Satan incarnate over here. **

**To MILK: what prompted you to come up with that as a guest name? Why do you love milk so much? I'm sure there's a story, and I want to hear it.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Try singing," coaxes Chaos gently, each note of his voice sending vibrations through Kendra. She reclines back on his furry pelt some more, resting her head on the wolf's broad shoulder. His recovery from the whipping had been quick. Only a few major gouges on the other side of him remain. Chaos claims it's all because of Kendra's fantastic handiwork, but Kendra suspects a certain unicorn to be the culprit. They'd been here for a while, just talking and mourning. She'd pried a bit more out about his family, and he'd managed to find out that she's nearing depression.

"Singing?" she repeats incredulously. "Me? Ah, no." True, song is a major chunk of Wolfen culture. They sing all the time. It's how they socialize and how they hunt. Each wolf has an individual chord of notes that they sing and speak with. They use them to combine and create the loveliest melodies in the world. Kendra, however, can't sing worth a darn.

"Yes." His wet nose brushes her cheek, surprising Kendra slightly. "Sing. Try it, little fairy."

Kendra swallows. She protests, "How is that going to help anything, Chaos? It'll just make your ears bleed."

"I lived through the BBM's Disney collection," chuckles Chaos grimly, "and my ears are still intact. If they can survive that, they can survive anything. Besides, singing is a great way to relieve stress. You'll be feeling better in no time! Wolf's honor."

"You are as untrustworthy as a sewer rat," scolds Kendra, but she squares her shoulders. The fingers that'd been toying with Chaos's fur jitter nervously. "What should I sing? Old McDonald?"

Chaos snorts. "If you want to sing Old McDonald, be my guest. However, I was thinking something a bit more impressive." The back of Kendra's head itches where his violet gaze fixes on her. "Your voice is high, but not to Mariah Carey level. You don't have the ivory tones of Adele, nor the silky voice of Rhinna. Do you have any songs that you favor above all others?"

Kendra shrugs. "I like Taylor Swift's 'Innocent'."

Chaos sighs, his entire body moving beneath her. His foul breath reaches Kendra's nose, and she swats him away. "I do adore that one," he approves. "Taylor is a remarkable young girl. Too famous too young, I believe, but what can you do? That song is a particular favorite."

"Me, too." Kendra's laugh is nervous, and her throat begins to close up. She clears it, but that doesn't help at all.

"Would you like me to go first?" asks Chaos softly, gently tousling her greasy hair with the tip of his nose. "I can sing, too, you know."

"If you don't mind, yeah," croaks Kendra in her strained voice. Internally, Kendra hates herself. She's confident and sparkling in many areas, but when it comes to something personal like her vocal abilities, she wants to curl up in a ball.

Clearing his throat, Chaos begins to sing.

* * *

"Is that really such a good idea, Seth?" questions Bracken slowly. The unicorn's silver eyes are trained on Seth's face, and he's looking him over with a brotherly affection. "Not that you aren't uber, but perhaps hanging back would be the best idea at the moment."

Seth inclines his head loftily. Fiona and Boro had disappeared a while back, and Brach's taking his shift watching the skies above Fablehaven. That leaves Warren, Bracken, and Seth to bicker over who gets to be Kendra's heroes and save the day. Cassandra watches them vigilantly with her almond shaped eyes. They flick about, taking in everything and noticing anything. The intelligence there is almost mind-blowing.

"Yes." Seth's voice is as firm as he feels. "I am absolutely certain that I'm going. If you'd like to stand in my way, be my guest. But I'm not a little kid anymore, Bracken; Chaos hand-selected me. I don't know why, but he believes that I can do this. I wield Vasilis II. I'm probably going to enroll in the BBM after this hullaballoo dies down. I can do to rescue my own sister."

"That's not what I meant," scolds Bracken, but worry shines in his silver eyes. The way the unicorn's pale skin counters his dark jeans and plaid shirt makes Seth envious, especially with gorgeous Cassandra as company. "Your sister," he insists, hair swaying as he cocks his handsome face, "would tear me to bits and throw my dust into Zzyxx if I let anything happen to you. It so happens that I like four limbs intact. Shocker, right? I don't want you to take useless risks, Seth."

"Seth is right," pipes up Cassandra in her sweet, flowing voice. Those dark eyes blink, fringed by her long golden lashes. She smiles childishly. "I think it's so adorable that you're willing to help your sister like that. Bracken, let him go, or I'll get the Dragon Mother to snap your neck in two."

Bracken's silver eyebrows prop up. He swivels to Cassandra, impressed disbelief plastered across his features. "You know the Dragon Mother?"

"Met her last week," amends Cassandra cheerfully. "But that's beside the point. So what, it's a bit dangerous? I flirt with danger and drink with death. It's time Seth established his placement in the immortal world. And I can think of no better way."

Seth holds up his hands. "'Placement in the immortal world,'" he quotes, staring at Cassandra with raised eyebrows.

She blushes. "Well, obviously a shadow charmer of your caliber isn't just going to stay mortal. You're going to get an offer from Chaos or one of the officers of the BBM eventually. Why not build your fanbase already? I could totally be your agent. Girls would fall all over that mischievous face."

Now it's Seth's turn to blush. She thinks his face is girl-worthy? That's super encouraging, coming from one of the hottest girls Seth knows. Well, there's Bracken's snooty sisters. But they're snooty and annoying. He hadn't liked them at all. Cassandra seems to notice what she'd said, and suddenly develops a strange interest in the ceiling.

Bracken clears his throat. "I guess if you really want to, you can come. But, be warned" – Bracken's eyes grow icy cold, and the tall man leans forward menacingly – "if you screw this up, I will hold you personally accountable. Nice, funny, clumsy Bracken will no longer exist. You will meet my dark side. Are we understood?"

Seth takes a step back from those intensely angry blue eyes, holding up his hands. "Again, she's my sister. I'll do whatever I can to get her out alive. And Chaos, too."

Bracken eyes Seth for a moment longer. "I hope you will."

Cassandra makes a noise like a dying goat. Slowly, Seth's head twitches to stare at her. Shining like gems, those dark eyes are filled with mischief.

* * *

Kendra stumbles along behind the long line of women. They all babble to themselves, chatting about random subjects, anything from the blue sky to their favorite types of pies. Overhead, a Bakeneko watches with luminous eyes, hanging upside-down from the ceiling like a bat. Its eyes follow her as she retreats further down the hall.

Kendra's feet squish over the sinking carpet as she studies a passing painting. She'd seen this one before, several times, on past walks. It's a finely painted thing, the blends of oils reminding Kendra of biblical portraits. Centered in the long mural is an angel with white hair. She looks about six or seven, with tumbles of curls flowing over each shoulder. Her sea green eyes are light and innocent. Two dove wings rest on either side of her small body, held at leisure. All around the childlike angel, waves froth against the rocks and roll up onto sandy beaches. The sun rises over the sea. Kendra can't help remembering the snowy white angel wings held on display in Jadium's trophy room, and her heart gives an involuntary squeeze.

Kendra focuses on the tunnel ahead. Not even ten feet before her, the hallway fades into pitch darkness. Her radiance is frail in these corridors at best, non-existent at worst. A shiver passes down Kendra's bones as the chilling cold of the stone labyrinth suddenly pierces her. Her eyes widen as the party of old women leads her down a passage she'd never been to before.

Or at least, maybe she'd never been this way before.

They turn and twist through the maze. Kendra plays a game of One Fish Two Fish, except it's: One Bakeneko, Two Bakeneko, Red Bakeneko, Blue Bakeneko. Not all that entertaining, considering the subjects are deadly cat demons. Chaos had explained that the Japanese demons had once been normal house-cats, but then had been bitten. He hadn't explained more than that.

Suddenly, Kendra stops. The old maid behind her rams into Kendra's body like a saggy bowling ball. But still she doesn't budge an inch, staring at the painting on the wall.

Kendra has definitely never been this way before.

There, on the wall, is a fine mural of the Fairy Kingdom's Royal Family. The Fairy King and Queen loom overhead, their necks sprouting from heavenly pink and gold clouds. Her heart squeezes as her eyes linger over the faces of the Princesses; she only remembers the names of three: Aria, the artistic one, Ikea, the goody-goody eldest, and Berneda, the adorable youngster. The last one had been musically gifted, but Kendra can't remember her name. Quickly, Kendra dismisses those irrelevant faces and focuses on the one close to the middle.

They captured him so perfectly.

Kendra can almost pretend that Bracken is there in the flesh, the way the portrait version of him grins on the painting. His white teeth are bared in a lively grin. His sculpted cheekbones look so real, it's like Kendra could lean forward and touch them. Choppily as ever, his hair hangs around his ears, a bit longer than it is now. The only thing the painter had gotten wrong is his eyes; they're a pale shade of silver, like his family's. But in reality, those beautiful irises are layer. Take the color of the sky on a clear spring afternoon, and shade it with the color of diamonds and crystal mountain water. Then, ring the pupils with a dash of gold. You still won't have the beautiful complexity Bracken somehow maintains.

"Keep moving, lucky girl," squawks one of the old women, prodding Kendra in the side. "The master is waiting!"

Kendra's legs lock. She doesn't move an inch, just staring at Bracken's smiling face. Tears begin to well in her eyes. _That's you,_ she whispers to Bracken. _Oh, and look at you!_ Kendra blinks her tears back down and lifts her head, but still refuses to move. Finally, the old women get impatient.

"Scurry along!" hisses one, prodding Kendra in a place women shouldn't be prodded.

"The master! Angry!" agrees another, barreling into Kendra like a bull.

"Hurry!" snarls another, snatching at Kendra's hand with her clawed fingers.

"Ladies," calls a deep, resonating voice from somewhere down the hall, "let's be pleasant. Leave the poor girl alone."

Kendra twitches. Tearing her eyes away from the beautiful face of Bracken, she looks into the eyes of another mythical creature. Towering overhead at nearly seven feet, the man holds a dark dignity about him. His face is sharp and angular, with massive cheekbones and a long, beaklike nose. Greasy grey-black hair falls into his face, with a windblown look that belongs in magazines. Though mostly hidden by his neat tux, the man's muscles flex with every step. Tightly folded along his back, two black dappled wings rest.

"I'll take her," volunteers Alec the Astrid brusquely, his black eyes roaming over Kendra's poor condition almost lazily. "She needn't bother you anymore."

The women all hesitate. Their sunken eyes flit about, searching for some form of leadership among themselves. Murmuring, they back up, glancing at Alec with fearful respect. And Alec does look frightening, with his tousled black hair and stormy black eyes.

"The master wishes this?" hisses one eventually. "He wishes this?"

"He wishes this." Alec's voice is cold. His hand closes firmly around Kendra's upper arm, those calloused fingers warm against her skin. Roughly, he drags Kendra a little closer to him. Alec's glare is icy and dangerous. "Go crawl back down the holes you leeches came from."

Blinking, they slowly retreat into the darkness with confused glances. One of them hangs back for a few seconds, before dashing off in a swirl of rags. Kendra tries to tug herself away from Alec's iron grip, but his hand only tightens.

"What are you doing?" she hisses, meeting those indifferent obsidian black eyes.

_Please don't fight_. Alec's calm voice in her mind is like a cold slap. _I'm trying to help you, but I must appear legitimate to the Bakeneko. _

Kendra freezes. She stares up at his dark eyes imploringly, but he pulls her away from the painting of Bracken and into the darkness of the hall. Her feet sink into the fluffy carpet, and he continues to guide her roughly through chamber after chamber of the dark labyrinth.

Alec had always been a bit of a sketchy character to Kendra, but he'd never done anything like this before. Kendra had considered him to be Zia's mature sidekick, her plus one. But now, with this, she starts to wonder. Alec had never actually done anything submissive. He'd had casual conversations with Kendra, of course, but he'd always held himself with a sort of dignity. Those sharp features on an owl's body makes him seem sinister. Could Alec have gone to the dark side? All Kendra knows is that he's a bird in love. Other than that, she really has no clue as to his mysterious personality.

But, just when Kendra starts to panic, Alec's mental voice soothes her gently. _I apologize for the lengths I'm having to go to. Please, calm down. No need to alarm yourself. I... what is that word? I... _infiltrated _this facility. Cassandra insisted upon it._

Kendra looks up at him, and his grip on her arm softens. His face still holds no emotion other than cruel displeasure, but there's a gleam of kindness in his dark eyes. They flick down to her briefly, and the look holds comfort.

_Don't be afraid._ His voice is like a warm blanket. _People are going to help you. I don't know the particulars, but you're going to get out of here, little fairy._

Kendra flinches. "Only Chaos can call me little fairy."

His nails bite deep into her skin._ Hush! The Bakeneko are everywhere, and more intelligent that we would be led to believe!_

Kendra narrows her eyes. _Then don't call me little fairy,_ she thinks, imagining her thoughts transferring to his mind.

_Of course not. _His grip loosens. _Poor old wolf._

Kendra's heart skips a beat in her chest. She looks at Alec in a panic. _Is Chaos okay? Where did they take him?_

Very discreetly, Alec shrugs. _Somehow, he got healed. Whether that was you, or Bracken, or whoever, it got Chaos screwed. He's probably not going to be returned to your cell, and he's definitely going to have all those wounds reopened._

Kendra swallows her guilt. Poor Chaos! He hadn't even wanted to be healed in the first place. The thought of the grumpy striped wolf bound to the floor again, with the curl of leather thrashing against his back makes her shiver. Maybe they're tearing apart his precious cloak. He'd said that it still smells like his home with his children, despite the thousands of years it had been since those days.

_Where are you taking me?_ wonders Kendra, tilting her head towards Alec's impassive face.

Before Alec can answer, Kendra's spidey-sense tingles. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Her breath sounds abnormally loud. Alec stiffens, his wings shuffling. Those dark pupils widen.

With a rabid snarl, a Bakeneko launches itself at Alec's neck. The owl man is smashed to the ground with a howl of pain. Those dark wings are pinned beneath him. The Bakeneko bares his teeth, using those broad paws to hold the astrid down, and roars mightily. Saber-tooth catlike fangs flash in the air with its powerful bellow. Then, swift as a swallow, the Bakeneko buries its fangs into Alec's neck.

* * *

Chaos doesn't see the point of this exercise. It isn't exactly something he'd choose to do on an everyday basis, but it doesn't necessarily fit the "torture" category. Using the tip of his nose, he straightens the cherry on top of the chocolate ice cream cone and passes it on.

As far as tormenting activities go, this is pretty easy. Ice cream isn't so bad. It's pleasantly cool in here, and, honestly, these war junkies are very polite when it comes to important things like their desserts.

Someone bangs impatiently on the door of the ice cream truck. The entire place is a sterile white, the very corners stained with ancient ice cream cones, maybe from the Roman Empire. The front table where customers order is clean and dandy.

Suddenly, the yowl of a feline pierces through the ice cream truck. With his signature I-Give-No-Craps attitude, Chaos continues sprinkling condiments on the cone, ignoring the increased banging on the truck.

"I'll be with you in just a minute," he calls over his shoulder. "Just let me finish this cone."

* * *

"Stay down," hisses Cassandra. Impossibly, Seth scrunches even tighter against the smelly trunk floor of the rental car. The beige floor pads smell like sweat and vomit and animals in one absolutely fabulous perfume. He'd almost thrown up at first. Next to him, Bracken huddles closer to the floor. The unicorn is definitely too close for comfort, but Seth doesn't dare raise a complaint.

Slowly, the car rumbles to a stop. It snorts and wheezes, and the metallic whirring of a car window rolling down fills the air. Seth holds his breath, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Cold air stampedes through the window.

A man says something in rapid-fast Russian. Seth's face is pressed into the floor, but he can just picture the rough, tough bearded guy of the wilderness it belongs to. Seth resists the urge to shrink in a little more. One of Chaos's first lessons had been that, no matter how much you may think it will help, never move. The biological eye is attracted to movement; stay still and nothing will ever become of you. Bracken beside him is as silent as a dead body.

Cassandra laughs, a tinkling sound like the pealing of bells. She says something in less fast Russian, something friendly and slightly flirty.

The man says something else. If Seth had to pin down a mood, he'd say flustered. They have a small, cheery conversation. Cassandra laughs once more, and the man shouts something muffedly. The window rolls up, and, with a start, the car rumbles back over the pavement.

After a few minutes of just driving, Cassandra whispers fragiley, "Crap, this is bad. Really bad. My god, we're never going to be able to do anything now."

"What did he say?" questions Bracken, the corpse stirring beside Seth. "I didn't pick all of it up. Something about birds."

"Zia and Alec were caught." Cassandra's usually floaty voice is shakey and filled with worry. "Zia made it off before anyone could catch her, but Alec wasn't so lucky."

Sympathy wracks Seth's chest. "I'll get him out, too. Don't you worry child, see heaven's got a plan for you!"

"I love that song," comments Bracken randomly. "Yes, we'll be getting Alec out as well as Kendra and Chaos. Maybe I'll just refer to them as ACK from now on. Don't worry."

Seth can almost hear her golden white curls as Cassandra shakes her head. "Don't you see? This is going to make our job that much more difficult. Now, Jadium is going to be on the alert for strangers and newcomers. He's definitely going to be suspicious of me. I'm not sure I'll be able to do much more than smuggle you into his gardens and then get the hell out of there. Sorry."

"It's alright," sighs Seth. With one hand, he rubs his face, massaging the tense muscles in his brow. Beside him, Bracken looks displeased, but the unicorn is wise enough to keep that to himself. Seth cranes his neck, and, using the rearview mirror, he catches Cassandra's eye. She looks like she's about to start crying, and her hands shake on the wheel.

"Calm down," soothes Seth. "You heard Bracken. We'll get Alec out of there. I swear it."

Cassandra looks at him in those black eyes ringed with painful red. "I can't put that on your shoulders, too. If Alec is getting out of there, then he's got to do it by himself. It's really painful for me to say this, but don't. I think he'll be able to figure something out by himself. He's a clever birdie."

Seth hesitates. "You sure?"

Cassandra squares her shoulders and lifts her chin a little higher. "Positive."

"If you're sure." Bracken's eyes search her face. "We can always bring along that annoying buzzard, too. But, if not, we'd better get moving. I can sense something incredibly dark and powerful. And it's coming this way. Step on it."

A sound like a freight train roars past. Seth tenses, listening to the sound of a cackling laugh fading into the distance, somehow even louder than the squealing brakes. Cassandra yelps out a few cuss words, craning her neck to goggle at something out the window. "There's an ice cream truck! An ice cream truck spewing fire!"

Bracken and Seth exchange a glance. "Chaos," they agree at the exact same moment.

* * *

Chaos slams open the door to Jadium's angry face. The warm air is tingly through his fur. Seeing Jadium's furious expression, Chaos's sass snaps back into place. "Hello," he monotones. "Would you like some ice cream? I have a wholesome variety of seventeen flavors! My favorite is A-Punch-In-The-Face! Try a free sample!"

* * *

**I can't even with this chapter. **

**Just. No. Can't.**

**POLL: Would you guys start sobbing if I killed off an unnamed sassy striped wolf?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	17. Chapter 16

**And I'm back with a valuable lesson. Never leave fans with a cliffhanger for extended periods of time if you don't want to get bombarded with reviews. In other words, I'll probably do that more often. **

_**No**_**, Alec is **_**not**_** dead. Kendra _thinks_ he died. But he didn't. He's actually safe now. Zia got him out. Yay. **

**I really do hate Jadium.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

"So, we've reached the point where I can monologue proudly at my triumph," purrs the catlike man, baring his long fangs. "What fun. I do adore this stage. Just to set down a few rules: you can politely ask questions. I will take polite questions. But anything other statement of any kind will result in, ah, _my Queen's_ agony."

Bracken snarls as the man sets Kendra back on her feet. Kendra gulps for air desperately, coughing slightly. She rocks on her feet, green eyes clouded with pain. Seth starts forward, but a voice in his mind pauses him.

_No!_ exclaims Bracken through the telepathy coin. _Let him monologue. Be polite. I believe this is Jadium, and I wish to gain as much information from him as possible before I rip his head from his body and then tear his spine out. By the way, I call dibs._

Seth resists the urge to shoot Bracken an odd look, but he quiets beside Bracken. His hands still curl and uncurl into fists.

"Polite questions, right?" Seth confirms, taking the ittiest of bittiest baby steps forward. "Well, what happened to Chaos?"

Jadium's cruel smile is amused. "I am a Lord of the Night. Chaos has been reduced to shadows. He is the darkness you see around you. I can keep him there as long as I like. Unfortunately, if creatures of light" – Jadium's fingers creep across Kendra's jawbone, making her stiffen – "are kept in such a state for extended periods of time, they quite literally evaporate. I wouldn't want that to happen to such a pretty little face."

"Okay." Seth swallows. "So, you said you're a vampire, right? Shouldn't there be vampire ladies running around? Why do you have to use my sister?"

Annoyance gleams in Jadium's catlike eyes. "My time to monologue has arrived," he decides, fading into the darkness as he backs away, "so please just shut up for a while, I really don't care about your opinions, they hold no value to me whatsoever.

"Now, our story starts a long, long time ago. I was a happy little lad back then in my happy little town in what you now know as London, or one of those British cities. However, one night, I was ambushed by a pack of my kindred, the vampires, and Turned. My eyes were opened to the world, and I was whole for a change. No one could tell me what to do! I was immortal! It was glorious!

"But such gloriousness came at a price.

"The vampires had a dreaded enemy. Contrary to the popular belief, we had nothing against the lycanthropes. In fact, at times we would even ally together. No, our enemies were much more sinister than that: we were rivals of the Angels."

Seth can't help it. He cracks up. Bracken kicks him in the shin and effectively shuts Seth up. Jadium glares balefully at Seth as he continues.

"Before I continue with my tale, know that I am not a batman. I do not have a clue where this bat rumor came from. I blame Dracula, in all honesty. That really wasn't my best work of literature. No, we vampirans are like the felines. We have the fangs of the saber-tooth. We smell like the tiger. We hear with the acuteness of the panther. We have the strength of the lion. We are the Vampires. And the Angels, what were they combined with but doves? Fragile little doves! Silly little birdies! And yet, every time Sylvester the cat grew near Tweety-Bird, Tweety-Bird retreated behind the impenetrable walls of day. It was so infuriating.

"I remember the last day of our most bitter war. I had already severed the wings of at least seventeen angels; a new record for me. But then, at long last, the Great Wolves intervened. I remembered panicking at the sound of their songs drifting over the hills. I, being the only intelligent one in my squadron, dove for cover. I managed to leap to the cover of a shadow in the canyon we were caught in before they set me to sleep with their little lullaby. When the sun rose in the sky and all my brethren were scorched, I alone was saved from the light's bitter wrath.

"Imagine my pain, rising from a deep slumber the following night to see all of my family, my friends, my wives lying strewn over the floor in fragrant ashes. I mourned for centuries, not rising from my stupor. Imagine my agony."

"Sorry, bub," snarls Kendra. "Only the people with hearts can feel."

Jadium's blow is so casual Seth doesn't even see it coming. Kendra certainly doesn't. She cries out with pain as the vampire grips her wrists and twists, the sound of bone snapping echoing throughout the room. If it's possible for Bracken to seem any lonelier, he does, staring imploringly at Kendra. Seth's sister pants with pain, making Seth growl under his breath.

"Silence, girl," commands Jadium simply. "Let me continue. Where was I? Ah, yes. Actually, you are forgiven, sweetie." Jadium swipes his fingers along Kendra's neck, making her stiffen with panic. "Your intervention was quite convenient. So, as at last I rose from the graves of my brethren, I knew it would be my duty to restore our former grace. But in order to change a human into one of my higher species, you need to have the venom of at least four vampires. Every vampire in existence except I was lying dead around me. So I had to find a new way, a way I could succeed, a way that none of my brethren had ever imagined.

"I had to breed with the lesser."

"Oh, you poor baby!" coos Kendra sarcastically, her green eyes flashing.

Jadium regards her curiously. Seth's gut wrenches in disgust at the sight of the man's naked lust and indifferent studying. In this vamp's eyes, Kendra isn't anything more than an animal. Than a slave. Her sudden will is just an amusement to him. That makes Seth angry. Very angry. "You haven't been this fiery for quite some time now. What is the reason for this sudden change in temperament?"

Kendra meets Bracken's eyes, and Seth can feel the mood of the room change. "It's funny what you'll do for love," she murmur quietly, the tenderness in her eyes as gentle as ocean froth.

"Be quiet." Jadium slashes his hooked fingernails across Kendra's face, leaving a trail of blood. "Nobody wishes to hear what you think, concubine. So, I made up my mind" – Jadium's eyes gleam maniacally – "I would create a master race. They would have all my speed and agility and wonderfulness, but they would walk in the sun. They would be able to withstand the sun's harmful rays. We would become the earth's most powerful predator.

"And what better subject than the ones that share most of my holy genetic pattern?" Jadium hooks a finger beneath Kendra's jaw, roughly tilting her head up so she stares him in the eyes.

"However, it did not take me more than three centuries to discover that the women of humanity did not have much to offer me." Jadium shoves away Kendra's face away from him, sending her stumbling back.

Seth whistles. "Only three. Impressive."

Bracken tenses, and Jadium's hand swings about in cruel punishment. Kendra cries out with a noise of soft pain as Jadium knocks her feet out from under her with a savage kick of one leg. She hits the stone floor with a crack that makes Bracken wail out her name, probably not by choice. Jadium kicks a bit of dust into Seth's sister's face, and continues with his story.

"You see, my children with these inferior beings were weak at best, and feeble at worst. They did not inherit my immortality, no matter how many women I tried. Every race, every religion, every string of DNA, and yet no matches. My children, they had my strength and intelligence, but what good are offspring who cannot walk in sunlight or live to carry out my legacy? And so I dispatched of them quickly.

"I was so persistent, avoiding the problem even as it stared me in the face. I tried the children of my children and a human woman. No such avail. I tried a human man and one of my daughters. Again, no luck. It seemed that I would be doomed to be the last of my kind. But another thought dawned on me. I have been patiently waiting here for centuries, siring offspring that I only send out into the world to be slaughtered. My riches have grown. I am a king."

"Dude, it's the modern age," laughs Seth incredulously. "People are going to start noticing if women just start disappearing."

"Every age is the modern age of its time," dismisses Jadium with a casual sweep of his hand. "You must agree with me on that at least, Fairy Prince. And you don't notice anyway. I've infiltrated your silly media. Those dreams sent to Stephanie Meyer? Hello. I want teenage girls to relish the thought of a handsome vampire showing up and being good. I have been planting such rumors all throughout your time. And it has been working. You would not believe how easy it is to sweet-talk a child eager for a romance-novel worthy relationship into the palm of your hand."

"What is the point of all this?" demands Bracken. "I still do not see the reason you had to jump through hoops to get your filthy mitts on Kendra. Care to explain?"

"I will, actually." Jadium's eyes glint. Seth feels sick to his stomach, and Kendra suddenly looks very afraid. Leaning down from his tremendous height, Jadium grasps Seth's sister's injured wrist and yanks her to her feet. Kendra is limp and petrified as Jadium wraps one arm around Kendra's hip, his hand trailing down to her more private areas. Bracken hisses under his breath as Jadium's other hand strays over Kendra's chest. "You see, little shadow charmer, as I scratched through human women, I looked for those that were indifferent to either light or dark. I sought out their equality, thinking it would be passed down. But what I really should've been looking for is someone to cancel out my dark with their light."

Ice cases the inside of Seth's stomach as Jadium grips Kendra's chin with two of his fingers. The vampire's golden eyes are hungry. "What I need," he whispers, "is a woman who walks with the sun. One who is not only undaunted of daylight, but is cherished by it. I need a woman to stand beside me, the sun to my moon. And it so happens that Kendra here fits the part."

Jadium tosses Kendra's head away again, and Seth almost wishes the vampire would just choose instead of jarring her head repeatedly. "Of course, such a gift took waiting." Annoyance flickers in Jadium's eyes. "Much waiting. I was well past the time that fairykind were frolicking about left and right with their Fairy Wolves. Sure, there were plenty of other light creatures running about, but none of them would do. The fairystruck just wouldn't do. Not light enough. I tried. But all good things come to those who wait, and I waited for so, so long. So long. But then, this little lady bursts in on the scene. The first time anyone ever heard of her, she rose from the shadows and conquered the mighty Demon King. I knew instantly that she would be the one. And so ever since, I've kept you on my radar. You've done annoying things, my dear, such as make an acquaintance with that insufferable Chaos. But, in the long run, you will blossom into a rare beauty."

Bracken is grinding his teeth beside Seth. Anger so ferocious that Seth has to fight the urge to cower shines in the unicorn's silvery blue eyes. "But why do you need the army?" demands Bracken. "If you're going to use –" Bracken falters. He shakes his head and starts again with increased strength. "If you're going to use Kendra to create little Jadiums and little Kendras, then why would you need more humans?"

Jadium tsks. He looks at Kendra indifferently. "My, that really wasn't all that polite, now was it? What do you think, my dear? Should we let it slide? No, I think I will torture him for this one…." Jadium leans forward and scoops Kendra's limp body up in an embrace. Anger prickles in Seth's stomach, and that's before Jadium presses his lips to Kendra's.

Kendra stares at him with mute horror for a few seconds, then makes a shrieking noise and shoves him in the chest. Bracken bellows with fury, taking a step forward, but Jadium waves a hand and the shadows hold the unicorn back. Grinning devilishly, Jadium catches Kendra's mouth in his again, ignoring her struggling.

"Enough." Seth's voice is cooler and more powerful than he'd thought it could be, hinted with cadences of something more sinister, something not his own. A tendril of the black fog brushes his hand, and then Seth understands. Jadium pauses in his forceful locking lips, turning to Seth with blind surprise on his face. Something had tossed the cowl of his cloak up to hide his face. When Seth speaks again, the authority in his voice is potent and so powerful that Jadium complies with his will. "Let go of my sister, you filthy leech, and answer Bracken's question."

Slowly, Jadium peels his hands off of Kendra. Kendra arches an eyebrow, but she definitely doesn't complain. Another voice seems to echo in Seth's mind for a couple of seconds, rebounding off his skull. But then, as quickly as it comes, it's gone. The mist recoils and slides back into the mass lining the room.

"I need humans because my army is not here yet." Jadium shakes his head. "My ultimate goal is to create a supreme species, correct? Well, any other magical creature other than those I allow are competition for my linage. I might as well use the petty humans to send them into extinction, when I get worshipped with the reverence of a god by these stupid people. They will remain so ignorant they will not even remember when they see one of their own picked off to become one of my children's lunches. But I also need them for protection.

"You see, unicorn, there are four forces of which you must be aware of: the Soul Bearer, who is currently untrained and untried, the Dragon Mother, who is taking one of her millennia-long naps at the moment, Tatiana the Owl Queen, and Chaos, King of Shadows. I need guarding from them. But I am starting to realize: perhaps I need not fear them for much longer. I have Chaos, King of Shadows and the fearsome leader of the Brotherhood of the Black Moon wrapped around my thumb! Tatiana will not get involved unless it threatens her own survival! I have become the most ultimate force of them all!" A smile splits over Jadium's face, sly and evil. "Perhaps my most potent act is seducing this lovely little prize…"

Jadium's hands are all over Kendra again. She makes a face at him, but otherwise stands still as a stone. "You see, I have broken her," he purrs, running a finger along Kendra's cheekbone. "She no longer is your Kendra, dear unicorn. She is my Kendra. Through and through."

Kendra snarls under her breath, but she remains still as a statue. A growl ripples through Bracken, shaking his entire form with his quivering anger. Desperately, Seth scratches through his memories, searching for something that'd be any use to him in this situation. But how on earth is he supposed to be prepared for this? An ancient vampire, lusting over his sister? That stuff only happens in Twilight to Seth's knowledge. It's nothing easily seen, nothing he could've known about, nothing –

Seth freezes.

It's nothing foreseeable.

Memories of Chaos floods Seth. Memories of Chaos's legends flood Seth. He remembers everything Chaos had ever taught him, every little detail he'd picked up over the years, every little scrap of information that Seth has ever managed to infer about the grumpy old wolf. He remembers the wolf's family, both the BBM and the ill-fated one. He remembers what the wolf had taught him the day before he'd disappeared, dragged off to this lunatic's hell.

The black fog brushes Seth's hand again, and he smiles cruelly. Ah. Clever Chaos. Clever, clever Chaos.

"Oh, Jadium," Seth scolds, stepping forward. The black cloak flutters around his feet like it does for the proper shadow charmers of the BBM. All attention is trained on him again. A cool breeze whips through the cavern, and Seth fantasizes that he's the one doing it. "Jadium, Jadium, Jadium. Your ignorance amuses me."

"Ignorance?" demands Jadium, but he looks uneasy. "The only one being ignorant at the moment is you, little shadow charmer."

"It's Little Wolf, actually," corrects Seth. A smile plays at his lips, and he can't help cocking his head. "You amuse me, you know that, right? Did you think for a moment that we weren't going to fight for Kendra? Even for a second? Did you think that she is unloved as you are? Because, Jade, that isn't going to work. You and I, we'll get that figured out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," snarls Jadium icily. Those golden catlike eyes blaze. "You are a fool."

"Right, right." Seth nods his head and laughs. "Well, I think it's quite funny how much you're missing. It's hilarious, actually, when you think about it. A serious gap in your plan that you didn't even consider."

"I took everything into consideration." Jadium's voice is hard. "There is no fault in my plan."

"No?" challenges Seth. "Well, think again idiot. He called himself… what, the Lord of Night or something like that?" Bracken nods. Seth whistles and claps his hands in feigned exhilaration. "Now, that must've taken some time. What, did you give yourself a migraine? Poor Jadium. See, Your Lordiness, here's the thing: Chaos is the King of Shadows. Right? Yeah. You said it yourself. And so you, what, turned him into a shadow to imprison him. Clever. Very clever. Round of applause there. Did it not even occur to you that maybe turning the King of Shadows into a shadow might not have been the best idea?" Seth tilts his head. "I'm guessing your answer is somewhere along the lines of no."

Jadium's eyes widen in horror. Above his head, two circles of glowing purple light open like a pair of eyes. Seth takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, focusing on everything Chaos had taught him. He reaches inside and pulls at his soul, imagining a great wave of energy repelling his evils in Seth's mind. He imagines Jadium sprawling backwards. Power kindles in Seth's chest, flaming like a blaze. Opening his eyes, Seth releases all the power in the form of a roaring noise.

The world suddenly plunges into darkness, the force of his explosion knocking out any of the light sources they'd had previously. Seth sees the outline of Jadium go flying, smashed against the wall. A few seconds later, the lights return, and abruptly, all the power drains from Seth. He groans and slumps forward, saved from falling only by Bracken.

In a swirl of shadows, Chaos appears, completely healed and better. The lights flaming from the relighted torches gleams off his DEVIL scar. A plume of purple light rises from both of his eyes, steaming over his fur and curling towards the ceiling. With a deep, rumbling snarl, Chaos stalks up. He growls at Jadium for a while, lowering his head and pricking his lips over his fangs.

After thirty seconds of nonstop growling, Chaos sighs, moving away. "Okay, I'm bored. He's all yours, Bracken."

Bracken flies forward, an animal roar in his throat. The sound of Bracken's fist connecting with Jadium echoes around the small room, and Seth can practically taste the fury in Bracken. His roars send a chill down Seth's spine, and he realizes that this is what Bracken had meant by the dark side.

Kendra seems confused. Her eyes are fixed on Bracken absolutely mutilating the vampire, but they're vacant, like she's not really seeing anything. Her hands hang numbly by her sides, and she slouches terribly. With the tip of his nose, Chaos gently nudges Kendra away from Bracken's wrath unfolding, blocking her vision and ushering her towards Seth.

As the wolf approached, his eyes gleam with pride. Chaos beams at Seth. "A Dark Pulse. Good job, Little Wolf. You've done well."

A fire of triumph burns in Seth's heart, and he squares his shoulders, grinning at Chaos. "You really think so?"

"Yes." Chaos leans forward and taps his nose to Seth's cheek in some sort of Wolfen gesture. "I really think so."

Seth grins up at the big wolf and throws his arms around Chaos's neck. Despite the awful roars in the background, it's easy to just rest his head on the wolf's chest and listen to a massive, vibrating heartbeat. When Seth pulls back, he's a bit ashamed, sure that Chaos will make some cheap shot.

But the wolf doesn't. He gently guides Kendra even further from Bracken. Seth drapes an arm over his sister's feeble shoulders and beckons her away from Bracken as well, taking Chaos's hints. Kendra looks up at him with big, round eyes.

"Where's Bracken?" she asks, trying to turn again. Seth stops her, his mind scrambling for an excuse. At that exact moment, Bracken launches into another volley of bellowing at the vampire.

"Bracken's extracting his revenge on Jadium." Chaos's voice is flat and honest. "It's not a very pretty sight. Be glad you're looking away, little fairy."

Seth glances at Chaos, miffed. "Little fairy? What about Little Wolf?"

Chaos meets Seth's glare coolly. "She's a fairy, she's smaller than me. Little fairy. Little Wolf is an actual nickname, one that is quickly becoming renowned. Don't be hating."

"I am hating." Seth punches the wolf in the newly healed shoulder. "What are you going to do about it?"

Chaos opens his mouth to retort, but something interrupts him. Bracken stops yelling for a second, and instead, his voice is cold and deadly. "You see her?" Seth twists around to see Bracken propping up Jadium and tilting his head towards Kendra. Well, there's no hiding it from her now.

"You see that beautiful, beautiful girl?" whispers Bracken jaggedly. "Do you see how lovely she is? Do you see the intelligence in her eyes? Do you see it, Jadium? Do you see her magnificence?" Bracken's voice deepens into a snarl. "Do you see it? BECAUSE SHE WILL NEVER" – Bracken swings his fist savagely, the sound of it smashing against Jadium's cheek echoing around the cavern – "EVER" – another brutal blow, this one a sharp stab up his ribcage – "BE YOURS!" On the last word, Bracken grabs Jadium by the scruff of his neck and throws him backwards like a pathetic kitten. With a roar, Bracken prepares to leap on top of the other man, but another voice halts the unicorn in his tracks.

"Bracken." Kendra sounds afraid and childish. Her eyes are glazed with terrified tears. "Stop it. Please. Stop it."

Bracken glowers at her for a full thirty seconds, but he doesn't move, staying frozen underneath Kendra's gaze. Finally, the anger in Bracken's eyes melts into horror at his own actions. The unicorn's eyes widen. He lifts a hand towards Kendra, but then drops it, staying carefully away from Seth's sister.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, forgetting about the vampire behind him completely.

Kendra stays silent for a moment, her eyes searching Bracken's face. Finally, she nods, and holds out her arms. "Just… just come over here and hug me, okay?"

Bracken complies, scooping Kendra up in his arms like a ragdoll toy. He buries his head in her hair, tightening his embrace until Kendra is practically squashed by the unicorn. She doesn't mind, stroking his hair gently and rocking him slightly, as if she's the one comforting him instead of the other way around. That's when Seth realizes Kendra is comforting Bracken. His eyes widen as he picks up the murmured endearments whispered under Kendra's breath.

"It's okay, Bracken. I'm okay, we're okay. You saved me. We're fine. We'll be safe. I promise we'll get out of here. It's alright, my love, I'm yours, not his. I belong to you, completely and utterly. You've got me now. I'm safe, you're safe, and soon, everyone will be safe. Don't let Jadium bother you, he's inferior and weak. You, Bracken; why, you're what demons have nightmares of! You are strong, strong enough to _walk away_. Can you do that, do that for me?"

Bracken whispers something back, something Seth doesn't quite catch, and the sweet-nothings reign once more.

"Such a strange thing, love," murmurs Chaos, shaking his head.

* * *

Cassandra darts through the air, the hot wind searing through her feathers. Embers swirl through the air like smoldering snowflakes. The rich ash circulating makes Cassandra cough wildly in the middle of her bank, putting a wobble in her elegant flight.

With a gasp of relief, Cassandra rises above the bomb level. With quick flaps of her owl wings, Cassandra studies the carnage below desperately. The ground is scorched from the bombs and bullets of the men and the air is tainted with the sorcery of the magical beings. Smoke rises from the castle, billowing towers reaching for the sun overhead.

She hovers about, searching the chaos until she sees them: one black astrid and one winged girl, rising through the battle and into the air. Relief floods her at the sight of Alec safe and sound. Bracken had said Kendra believed him dead. True, his flight is crooked and far from graceful, but she'd recognize the old bird from miles away.

Something smashes into Cassandra from above, a firm hand closing around her wings. With a shriek, Cassandra struggles against the burly fingers constricting around her. The wing that'd been broken multiple times in the past year screams with protest. Repeatedly she pecks her beak into the hand, ripping flesh and causing his blood to stain her white feathers. Flailing, she claws her captor with her razorlike talons more than once.

"Stop that," growls a voice, male and distinctively of astrid type.

Panic bubbles in Cassandra, and she struggles with more desperation. She shrieks as the Captain of the Knights of Dawn, Gilgarol and a good owl, flies far beneath her. However, the noble astrid doesn't take notice of her cries and continues battling below.

"Your commander is going to be very ticked," Cassandra spits, clamping her beak down on the man's thumb again.

"That's Gilgarol's problem, not mine," dismisses the astrid holding Cassandra. The rock of another pair of wings hovering is unsettling for her stomach. "And, anyway, who ever said he has to know?"

A roar nearly pops Cassandra's eardrums, and the great crimson dragon that'd accompanied the BBM lifts its large head and bares its ivory teeth in a threat. Cassandra resists the urge to sigh with relief as she recognizes those black eyes and the topaz moon tattoo etched onto the dragon's scaly shoulder. The dragon snarls, and lifts in flight.

"You're so screwed," laughs Cassandra cheerfully. "Never mess with Crimson's OTP."

* * *

**If you didn't get that, Crimson is a massive crimson dragon. **

**That actually explains a lot, if you think about it.**

**Sorry it took me so long to get this one out here, I actually published a one-shotter for a reader of mine called "Perfect". I suggest you go read it, because it is awesome. End of story. Go read it. Please. **

**POLL: Who wants more clever Chaos sarcasm?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	18. Chapter 17

**And I'm back with a valuable lesson. Never leave fans with a cliffhanger for extended periods of time if you don't want to get bombarded with reviews. In other words, I'll probably do that more often. **

_**No**_**, Alec is **_**not**_** dead. Kendra _thinks_ he died. But he didn't. He's actually safe now. Zia got him out. Yay. **

**I really do hate Jadium.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

"So, we've reached the point where I can monologue proudly at my triumph," purrs the catlike man, baring his long fangs. "What fun. I do adore this stage. Just to set down a few rules: you can politely ask questions. I will take polite questions. But anything other statement of any kind will result in, ah, _my Queen's_ agony."

Bracken snarls as the man sets Kendra back on her feet. Kendra gulps for air desperately, coughing slightly. She rocks on her feet, green eyes clouded with pain. Seth starts forward, but a voice in his mind pauses him.

_No!_ exclaims Bracken through the telepathy coin. _Let him monologue. Be polite. I believe this is Jadium, and I wish to gain as much information from him as possible before I rip his head from his body and then tear his spine out. By the way, I call dibs._

Seth resists the urge to shoot Bracken an odd look, but he quiets beside Bracken. His hands still curl and uncurl into fists.

"Polite questions, right?" Seth confirms, taking the ittiest of bittiest baby steps forward. "Well, what happened to Chaos?"

Jadium's cruel smile is amused. "I am a Lord of the Night. Chaos has been reduced to shadows. He is the darkness you see around you. I can keep him there as long as I like. Unfortunately, if creatures of light" – Jadium's fingers creep across Kendra's jawbone, making her stiffen – "are kept in such a state for extended periods of time, they quite literally evaporate. I wouldn't want that to happen to such a pretty little face."

"Okay." Seth swallows. "So, you said you're a vampire, right? Shouldn't there be vampire ladies running around? Why do you have to use my sister?"

Annoyance gleams in Jadium's catlike eyes. "My time to monologue has arrived," he decides, fading into the darkness as he backs away, "so please just shut up for a while, I really don't care about your opinions, they hold no value to me whatsoever.

"Now, our story starts a long, long time ago. I was a happy little lad back then in my happy little town in what you now know as London, or one of those British cities. However, one night, I was ambushed by a pack of my kindred, the vampires, and Turned. My eyes were opened to the world, and I was whole for a change. No one could tell me what to do! I was immortal! It was glorious!

"But such gloriousness came at a price.

"The vampires had a dreaded enemy. Contrary to the popular belief, we had nothing against the lycanthropes. In fact, at times we would even ally together. No, our enemies were much more sinister than that: we were rivals of the Angels."

Seth can't help it. He cracks up. Bracken kicks him in the shin and effectively shuts Seth up. Jadium glares balefully at Seth as he continues.

"Before I continue with my tale, know that I am not a batman. I do not have a clue where this bat rumor came from. I blame Dracula, in all honesty. That really wasn't my best work of literature. No, we vampirans are like the felines. We have the fangs of the saber-tooth. We smell like the tiger. We hear with the acuteness of the panther. We have the strength of the lion. We are the Vampires. And the Angels, what were they combined with but doves? Fragile little doves! Silly little birdies! And yet, every time Sylvester the cat grew near Tweety-Bird, Tweety-Bird retreated behind the impenetrable walls of day. It was so infuriating.

"I remember the last day of our most bitter war. I had already severed the wings of at least seventeen angels; a new record for me. But then, at long last, the Great Wolves intervened. I remembered panicking at the sound of their songs drifting over the hills. I, being the only intelligent one in my squadron, dove for cover. I managed to leap to the cover of a shadow in the canyon we were caught in before they set me to sleep with their little lullaby. When the sun rose in the sky and all my brethren were scorched, I alone was saved from the light's bitter wrath.

"Imagine my pain, rising from a deep slumber the following night to see all of my family, my friends, my wives lying strewn over the floor in fragrant ashes. I mourned for centuries, not rising from my stupor. Imagine my agony."

"Sorry, bub," snarls Kendra. "Only the people with hearts can feel."

Jadium's blow is so casual Seth doesn't even see it coming. Kendra certainly doesn't. She cries out with pain as the vampire grips her wrists and twists, the sound of bone snapping echoing throughout the room. If it's possible for Bracken to seem any lonelier, he does, staring imploringly at Kendra. Seth's sister pants with pain, making Seth growl under his breath.

"Silence, girl," commands Jadium simply. "Let me continue. Where was I? Ah, yes. Actually, you are forgiven, sweetie." Jadium swipes his fingers along Kendra's neck, making her stiffen with panic. "Your intervention was quite convenient. So, as at last I rose from the graves of my brethren, I knew it would be my duty to restore our former grace. But in order to change a human into one of my higher species, you need to have the venom of at least four vampires. Every vampire in existence except I was lying dead around me. So I had to find a new way, a way I could succeed, a way that none of my brethren had ever imagined.

"I had to breed with the lesser."

"Oh, you poor baby!" coos Kendra sarcastically, her green eyes flashing.

Jadium regards her curiously. Seth's gut wrenches in disgust at the sight of the man's naked lust and indifferent studying. In this vamp's eyes, Kendra isn't anything more than an animal. Than a slave. Her sudden will is just an amusement to him. That makes Seth angry. Very angry. "You haven't been this fiery for quite some time now. What is the reason for this sudden change in temperament?"

Kendra meets Bracken's eyes, and Seth can feel the mood of the room change. "It's funny what you'll do for love," she murmur quietly, the tenderness in her eyes as gentle as ocean froth.

"Be quiet." Jadium slashes his hooked fingernails across Kendra's face, leaving a trail of blood. "Nobody wishes to hear what you think, concubine. So, I made up my mind" – Jadium's eyes gleam maniacally – "I would create a master race. They would have all my speed and agility and wonderfulness, but they would walk in the sun. They would be able to withstand the sun's harmful rays. We would become the earth's most powerful predator.

"And what better subject than the ones that share most of my holy genetic pattern?" Jadium hooks a finger beneath Kendra's jaw, roughly tilting her head up so she stares him in the eyes.

"However, it did not take me more than three centuries to discover that the women of humanity did not have much to offer me." Jadium shoves away Kendra's face away from him, sending her stumbling back.

Seth whistles. "Only three. Impressive."

Bracken tenses, and Jadium's hand swings about in cruel punishment. Kendra cries out with a noise of soft pain as Jadium knocks her feet out from under her with a savage kick of one leg. She hits the stone floor with a crack that makes Bracken wail out her name, probably not by choice. Jadium kicks a bit of dust into Seth's sister's face, and continues with his story.

"You see, my children with these inferior beings were weak at best, and feeble at worst. They did not inherit my immortality, no matter how many women I tried. Every race, every religion, every string of DNA, and yet no matches. My children, they had my strength and intelligence, but what good are offspring who cannot walk in sunlight or live to carry out my legacy? And so I dispatched of them quickly.

"I was so persistent, avoiding the problem even as it stared me in the face. I tried the children of my children and a human woman. No such avail. I tried a human man and one of my daughters. Again, no luck. It seemed that I would be doomed to be the last of my kind. But another thought dawned on me. I have been patiently waiting here for centuries, siring offspring that I only send out into the world to be slaughtered. My riches have grown. I am a king."

"Dude, it's the modern age," laughs Seth incredulously. "People are going to start noticing if women just start disappearing."

"Every age is the modern age of its time," dismisses Jadium with a casual sweep of his hand. "You must agree with me on that at least, Fairy Prince. And you don't notice anyway. I've infiltrated your silly media. Those dreams sent to Stephanie Meyer? Hello. I want teenage girls to relish the thought of a handsome vampire showing up and being good. I have been planting such rumors all throughout your time. And it has been working. You would not believe how easy it is to sweet-talk a child eager for a romance-novel worthy relationship into the palm of your hand."

"What is the point of all this?" demands Bracken. "I still do not see the reason you had to jump through hoops to get your filthy mitts on Kendra. Care to explain?"

"I will, actually." Jadium's eyes glint. Seth feels sick to his stomach, and Kendra suddenly looks very afraid. Leaning down from his tremendous height, Jadium grasps Seth's sister's injured wrist and yanks her to her feet. Kendra is limp and petrified as Jadium wraps one arm around Kendra's hip, his hand trailing down to her more private areas. Bracken hisses under his breath as Jadium's other hand strays over Kendra's chest. "You see, little shadow charmer, as I scratched through human women, I looked for those that were indifferent to either light or dark. I sought out their equality, thinking it would be passed down. But what I really should've been looking for is someone to cancel out my dark with their light."

Ice cases the inside of Seth's stomach as Jadium grips Kendra's chin with two of his fingers. The vampire's golden eyes are hungry. "What I need," he whispers, "is a woman who walks with the sun. One who is not only undaunted of daylight, but is cherished by it. I need a woman to stand beside me, the sun to my moon. And it so happens that Kendra here fits the part."

Jadium tosses Kendra's head away again, and Seth almost wishes the vampire would just choose instead of jarring her head repeatedly. "Of course, such a gift took waiting." Annoyance flickers in Jadium's eyes. "Much waiting. I was well past the time that fairykind were frolicking about left and right with their Fairy Wolves. Sure, there were plenty of other light creatures running about, but none of them would do. The fairystruck just wouldn't do. Not light enough. I tried. But all good things come to those who wait, and I waited for so, so long. So long. But then, this little lady bursts in on the scene. The first time anyone ever heard of her, she rose from the shadows and conquered the mighty Demon King. I knew instantly that she would be the one. And so ever since, I've kept you on my radar. You've done annoying things, my dear, such as make an acquaintance with that insufferable Chaos. But, in the long run, you will blossom into a rare beauty."

Bracken is grinding his teeth beside Seth. Anger so ferocious that Seth has to fight the urge to cower shines in the unicorn's silvery blue eyes. "But why do you need the army?" demands Bracken. "If you're going to use –" Bracken falters. He shakes his head and starts again with increased strength. "If you're going to use Kendra to create little Jadiums and little Kendras, then why would you need more humans?"

Jadium tsks. He looks at Kendra indifferently. "My, that really wasn't all that polite, now was it? What do you think, my dear? Should we let it slide? No, I think I will torture him for this one…." Jadium leans forward and scoops Kendra's limp body up in an embrace. Anger prickles in Seth's stomach, and that's before Jadium presses his lips to Kendra's.

Kendra stares at him with mute horror for a few seconds, then makes a shrieking noise and shoves him in the chest. Bracken bellows with fury, taking a step forward, but Jadium waves a hand and the shadows hold the unicorn back. Grinning devilishly, Jadium catches Kendra's mouth in his again, ignoring her struggling.

"Enough." Seth's voice is cooler and more powerful than he'd thought it could be, hinted with cadences of something more sinister, something not his own. A tendril of the black fog brushes his hand, and then Seth understands. Jadium pauses in his forceful locking lips, turning to Seth with blind surprise on his face. Something had tossed the cowl of his cloak up to hide his face. When Seth speaks again, the authority in his voice is potent and so powerful that Jadium complies with his will. "Let go of my sister, you filthy leech, and answer Bracken's question."

Slowly, Jadium peels his hands off of Kendra. Kendra arches an eyebrow, but she definitely doesn't complain. Another voice seems to echo in Seth's mind for a couple of seconds, rebounding off his skull. But then, as quickly as it comes, it's gone. The mist recoils and slides back into the mass lining the room.

"I need humans because my army is not here yet." Jadium shakes his head. "My ultimate goal is to create a supreme species, correct? Well, any other magical creature other than those I allow are competition for my linage. I might as well use the petty humans to send them into extinction, when I get worshipped with the reverence of a god by these stupid people. They will remain so ignorant they will not even remember when they see one of their own picked off to become one of my children's lunches. But I also need them for protection.

"You see, unicorn, there are four forces of which you must be aware of: the Soul Bearer, who is currently untrained and untried, the Dragon Mother, who is taking one of her millennia-long naps at the moment, Tatiana the Owl Queen, and Chaos, King of Shadows. I need guarding from them. But I am starting to realize: perhaps I need not fear them for much longer. I have Chaos, King of Shadows and the fearsome leader of the Brotherhood of the Black Moon wrapped around my thumb! Tatiana will not get involved unless it threatens her own survival! I have become the most ultimate force of them all!" A smile splits over Jadium's face, sly and evil. "Perhaps my most potent act is seducing this lovely little prize…"

Jadium's hands are all over Kendra again. She makes a face at him, but otherwise stands still as a stone. "You see, I have broken her," he purrs, running a finger along Kendra's cheekbone. "She no longer is your Kendra, dear unicorn. She is my Kendra. Through and through."

Kendra snarls under her breath, but she remains still as a statue. A growl ripples through Bracken, shaking his entire form with his quivering anger. Desperately, Seth scratches through his memories, searching for something that'd be any use to him in this situation. But how on earth is he supposed to be prepared for this? An ancient vampire, lusting over his sister? That stuff only happens in Twilight to Seth's knowledge. It's nothing easily seen, nothing he could've known about, nothing –

Seth freezes.

It's nothing foreseeable.

Memories of Chaos floods Seth. Memories of Chaos's legends flood Seth. He remembers everything Chaos had ever taught him, every little detail he'd picked up over the years, every little scrap of information that Seth has ever managed to infer about the grumpy old wolf. He remembers the wolf's family, both the BBM and the ill-fated one. He remembers what the wolf had taught him the day before he'd disappeared, dragged off to this lunatic's hell.

The black fog brushes Seth's hand again, and he smiles cruelly. Ah. Clever Chaos. Clever, clever Chaos.

"Oh, Jadium," Seth scolds, stepping forward. The black cloak flutters around his feet like it does for the proper shadow charmers of the BBM. All attention is trained on him again. A cool breeze whips through the cavern, and Seth fantasizes that he's the one doing it. "Jadium, Jadium, Jadium. Your ignorance amuses me."

"Ignorance?" demands Jadium, but he looks uneasy. "The only one being ignorant at the moment is you, little shadow charmer."

"It's Little Wolf, actually," corrects Seth. A smile plays at his lips, and he can't help cocking his head. "You amuse me, you know that, right? Did you think for a moment that we weren't going to fight for Kendra? Even for a second? Did you think that she is unloved as you are? Because, Jade, that isn't going to work. You and I, we'll get that figured out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," snarls Jadium icily. Those golden catlike eyes blaze. "You are a fool."

"Right, right." Seth nods his head and laughs. "Well, I think it's quite funny how much you're missing. It's hilarious, actually, when you think about it. A serious gap in your plan that you didn't even consider."

"I took everything into consideration." Jadium's voice is hard. "There is no fault in my plan."

"No?" challenges Seth. "Well, think again idiot. He called himself… what, the Lord of Night or something like that?" Bracken nods. Seth whistles and claps his hands in feigned exhilaration. "Now, that must've taken some time. What, did you give yourself a migraine? Poor Jadium. See, Your Lordiness, here's the thing: Chaos is the King of Shadows. Right? Yeah. You said it yourself. And so you, what, turned him into a shadow to imprison him. Clever. Very clever. Round of applause there. Did it not even occur to you that maybe turning the King of Shadows into a shadow might not have been the best idea?" Seth tilts his head. "I'm guessing your answer is somewhere along the lines of no."

Jadium's eyes widen in horror. Above his head, two circles of glowing purple light open like a pair of eyes. Seth takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, focusing on everything Chaos had taught him. He reaches inside and pulls at his soul, imagining a great wave of energy repelling his evils in Seth's mind. He imagines Jadium sprawling backwards. Power kindles in Seth's chest, flaming like a blaze. Opening his eyes, Seth releases all the power in the form of a roaring noise.

The world suddenly plunges into darkness, the force of his explosion knocking out any of the light sources they'd had previously. Seth sees the outline of Jadium go flying, smashed against the wall. A few seconds later, the lights return, and abruptly, all the power drains from Seth. He groans and slumps forward, saved from falling only by Bracken.

In a swirl of shadows, Chaos appears, completely healed and better. The lights flaming from the relighted torches gleams off his DEVIL scar. A plume of purple light rises from both of his eyes, steaming over his fur and curling towards the ceiling. With a deep, rumbling snarl, Chaos stalks up. He growls at Jadium for a while, lowering his head and pricking his lips over his fangs.

After thirty seconds of nonstop growling, Chaos sighs, moving away. "Okay, I'm bored. He's all yours, Bracken."

Bracken flies forward, an animal roar in his throat. The sound of Bracken's fist connecting with Jadium echoes around the small room, and Seth can practically taste the fury in Bracken. His roars send a chill down Seth's spine, and he realizes that this is what Bracken had meant by the dark side.

Kendra seems confused. Her eyes are fixed on Bracken absolutely mutilating the vampire, but they're vacant, like she's not really seeing anything. Her hands hang numbly by her sides, and she slouches terribly. With the tip of his nose, Chaos gently nudges Kendra away from Bracken's wrath unfolding, blocking her vision and ushering her towards Seth.

As the wolf approached, his eyes gleam with pride. Chaos beams at Seth. "A Dark Pulse. Good job, Little Wolf. You've done well."

A fire of triumph burns in Seth's heart, and he squares his shoulders, grinning at Chaos. "You really think so?"

"Yes." Chaos leans forward and taps his nose to Seth's cheek in some sort of Wolfen gesture. "I really think so."

Seth grins up at the big wolf and throws his arms around Chaos's neck. Despite the awful roars in the background, it's easy to just rest his head on the wolf's chest and listen to a massive, vibrating heartbeat. When Seth pulls back, he's a bit ashamed, sure that Chaos will make some cheap shot.

But the wolf doesn't. He gently guides Kendra even further from Bracken. Seth drapes an arm over his sister's feeble shoulders and beckons her away from Bracken as well, taking Chaos's hints. Kendra looks up at him with big, round eyes.

"Where's Bracken?" she asks, trying to turn again. Seth stops her, his mind scrambling for an excuse. At that exact moment, Bracken launches into another volley of bellowing at the vampire.

"Bracken's extracting his revenge on Jadium." Chaos's voice is flat and honest. "It's not a very pretty sight. Be glad you're looking away, little fairy."

Seth glances at Chaos, miffed. "Little fairy? What about Little Wolf?"

Chaos meets Seth's glare coolly. "She's a fairy, she's smaller than me. Little fairy. Little Wolf is an actual nickname, one that is quickly becoming renowned. Don't be hating."

"I am hating." Seth punches the wolf in the newly healed shoulder. "What are you going to do about it?"

Chaos opens his mouth to retort, but something interrupts him. Bracken stops yelling for a second, and instead, his voice is cold and deadly. "You see her?" Seth twists around to see Bracken propping up Jadium and tilting his head towards Kendra. Well, there's no hiding it from her now.

"You see that beautiful, beautiful girl?" whispers Bracken jaggedly. "Do you see how lovely she is? Do you see the intelligence in her eyes? Do you see it, Jadium? Do you see her magnificence?" Bracken's voice deepens into a snarl. "Do you see it? BECAUSE SHE WILL NEVER" – Bracken swings his fist savagely, the sound of it smashing against Jadium's cheek echoing around the cavern – "EVER" – another brutal blow, this one a sharp stab up his ribcage – "BE YOURS!" On the last word, Bracken grabs Jadium by the scruff of his neck and throws him backwards like a pathetic kitten. With a roar, Bracken prepares to leap on top of the other man, but another voice halts the unicorn in his tracks.

"Bracken." Kendra sounds afraid and childish. Her eyes are glazed with terrified tears. "Stop it. Please. Stop it."

Bracken glowers at her for a full thirty seconds, but he doesn't move, staying frozen underneath Kendra's gaze. Finally, the anger in Bracken's eyes melts into horror at his own actions. The unicorn's eyes widen. He lifts a hand towards Kendra, but then drops it, staying carefully away from Seth's sister.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, forgetting about the vampire behind him completely.

Kendra stays silent for a moment, her eyes searching Bracken's face. Finally, she nods, and holds out her arms. "Just… just come over here and hug me, okay?"

Bracken complies, scooping Kendra up in his arms like a ragdoll toy. He buries his head in her hair, tightening his embrace until Kendra is practically squashed by the unicorn. She doesn't mind, stroking his hair gently and rocking him slightly, as if she's the one comforting him instead of the other way around. That's when Seth realizes Kendra is comforting Bracken. His eyes widen as he picks up the murmured endearments whispered under Kendra's breath.

"It's okay, Bracken. I'm okay, we're okay. You saved me. We're fine. We'll be safe. I promise we'll get out of here. It's alright, my love, I'm yours, not his. I belong to you, completely and utterly. You've got me now. I'm safe, you're safe, and soon, everyone will be safe. Don't let Jadium bother you, he's inferior and weak. You, Bracken; why, you're what demons have nightmares of! You are strong, strong enough to _walk away_. Can you do that, do that for me?"

Bracken whispers something back, something Seth doesn't quite catch, and the sweet-nothings reign once more.

"Such a strange thing, love," murmurs Chaos, shaking his head.

* * *

Cassandra darts through the air, the hot wind searing through her feathers. Embers swirl through the air like smoldering snowflakes. The rich ash circulating makes Cassandra cough wildly in the middle of her bank, putting a wobble in her elegant flight.

With a gasp of relief, Cassandra rises above the bomb level. With quick flaps of her owl wings, Cassandra studies the carnage below desperately. The ground is scorched from the bombs and bullets of the men and the air is tainted with the sorcery of the magical beings. Smoke rises from the castle, billowing towers reaching for the sun overhead.

She hovers about, searching the chaos until she sees them: one black astrid and one winged girl, rising through the battle and into the air. Relief floods her at the sight of Alec safe and sound. Bracken had said Kendra believed him dead. True, his flight is crooked and far from graceful, but she'd recognize the old bird from miles away.

Something smashes into Cassandra from above, a firm hand closing around her wings. With a shriek, Cassandra struggles against the burly fingers constricting around her. The wing that'd been broken multiple times in the past year screams with protest. Repeatedly she pecks her beak into the hand, ripping flesh and causing his blood to stain her white feathers. Flailing, she claws her captor with her razorlike talons more than once.

"Stop that," growls a voice, male and distinctively of astrid type.

Panic bubbles in Cassandra, and she struggles with more desperation. She shrieks as the Captain of the Knights of Dawn, Gilgarol and a good owl, flies far beneath her. However, the noble astrid doesn't take notice of her cries and continues battling below.

"Your commander is going to be very ticked," Cassandra spits, clamping her beak down on the man's thumb again.

"That's Gilgarol's problem, not mine," dismisses the astrid holding Cassandra. The rock of another pair of wings hovering is unsettling for her stomach. "And, anyway, who ever said he has to know?"

A roar nearly pops Cassandra's eardrums, and the great crimson dragon that'd accompanied the BBM lifts its large head and bares its ivory teeth in a threat. Cassandra resists the urge to sigh with relief as she recognizes those black eyes and the topaz moon tattoo etched onto the dragon's scaly shoulder. The dragon snarls, and lifts in flight.

"You're so screwed," laughs Cassandra cheerfully. "Never mess with Crimson's OTP."

* * *

**If you didn't get that, Crimson is a massive crimson dragon. **

**That actually explains a lot, if you think about it.**

**Sorry it took me so long to get this one out here, I actually published a one-shotter for a reader of mine called "Perfect". I suggest you go read it, because it is awesome. End of story. Go read it. Please. **

**POLL: Who wants more clever Chaos sarcasm?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	19. Chapter 18

**You know, if I don't update quickly enough for you guys, you could always just reread old updates to refresh your mind. I have to reread Time and Time Again daily to keep my storyline in order. Have fun with this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

"He's gone!" stammers Kendra, her green eyes wide as she stares at the place where Bracken had slammed Jadium into the rock. An involuntary shiver passes down her spine, and she clutches herself closer to Bracken. "Where'd he go?"

"It makes perfect sense for the antagonist to hang around while the people he'd just frigging tortured meet up with one another and exchange kisses," growls Chaos sarcastically. He seems tense, purple eyes trained on the door. Every muscle in his body is lined with tension. "Why wouldn't he have split? I swear he's determined to have a sequel."

Kendra shrinks a bit more against Bracken. His arms close around her. She _hates_ being so weak, especially around a guy. But Kendra can't help it. Fear had been her companion for too long just to "let it loose" now. But now that fear has a counterpart, a light in the darkness to ward her nightmares away. Kendra hopes she never has to let go.

Bracken hugs Kendra reassuringly. His warmth is maddening through his rough clothes. With one finger he strokes her face, leaving a trail of wet silver blood. When Kendra had asked about the mar on his hand, he'd said that he'd punched one of Jadium's buttons on his suit. She can feel his blue eyes focused on the top of her head, and can feel the concern in his gaze. Admittedly, it sounds horrible, but that concern for her makes Kendra so happy. He _does_ care. He _had_ come. She should've believed Chaos, not that she would ever say that to the haughty wolf's face.

"So… what do we do now?" questions Seth after a moment of quiet. His scary and badass actions are over, leaving behind confused and lovable Seth behind.

As if it were waiting for some sort of cue, feline snarls echo through the hallways. Hisses and growls ring through the tunnels, still sounding far off. Fear widens Kendra's pupils. The Bakeneko sound seriously furious. Chaos cackles and shoots to his feet with a swirl of his newly retrieved cloak. Towering above, Chaos laughs, "Oh, what fun! Here come the kitty cats! It'll take the stupid things a minute to locate us, so let's brainstorm! Do we have anything that I can eat or possibly make popcorn with?"

"I brought Cadeliah's swords," pipes up Seth. He tugs them from out of underneath his cloak and tosses them towards Kendra. Surprised, she catches the pair of gleaming sword hilts. The handles mold directly to her hands. "Those are probably going to come in handy."

"Most likely," agrees Chaos with a curt nod, "but those would really hurt my digestive system."

"I brought Pop Tarts." Bracken's hand pulls something out from underneath his cloak, a gleaming tin foil packet. Gently, he holds it out as an offering to Kendra. Her heart melts, remembering the conversation they'd had mere days before this… this _thing_. Kendra looks into Bracken's eyes and stares at them for a while, caught in his gaze. She moves to take the gift from him, her mouth already watering at the thought of food other than mush.

Chaos darts forward and snaps it from Bracken's hand, devouring it foil and all. He gulps it down and sighs. A staged belch leaps from the wolf's lips, and he licks his chops simply to irritate Bracken. Kendra sees the unicorn clench his teeth with annoyance, but, thankfully, he doesn't say anything offensive.

"I guess I really couldn't have expected anything else," Bracken sighs submissively, a hand curling around to the small of Kendra's back. Bolts of warmth shoot through her at the physical contact. "I'll hand it to you, Chaos, you know how to break up a romantic moment."

"Thank god," complains Seth, shaking his cloaked head. "I swear, if you two are going to be this cuddly all trip back, I think I'll go insane."

"Wait, whole trip back?" questions Kendra. "Can't we have one of those astrids you guys were talking about just airlift us out?"

"That's…." Seth frowns. "That's a really good question. Can we, Bracken?"

"No, unfortunately." Bracken shakes his head, his silvery hair reflecting the light of the torches Chaos had relit. "There is ancient magic on these grounds. Ancient, as in it's been here for a _long_ time. It would take a long time to lift all of those curses. So, the moment any of us walked through the gates, we were placed under a… I suppose you could say shackling spell. The only ways we could possibly escape are the Whiteblood Gardens or the front gate."

Chaos makes a groaning noise in his throat. "No contest there. Front gate all the way, baby."

"That's where we run into a problem." Seth glances at Bracken. "Can I handle this one?"

Bracken nods. "Feel free."

"The main attack is happened around the gates," explains Seth with an important tone of voice. "I mean, we'll still run into trouble as we run to the Whiteblood Gardens, but nothing as colossal as the crowd around the entrance. We started out only with the wolves, but then the BBM and the—"

"Little fools," snarls Chaos. "The BBM got involved? I swear, I will whip Crimson's scaly little backside…"

Seth sits patiently for a moment until Chaos stops muttering under his breath. Finally, Seth ventures, "Are you done yet? Yes? Good. Anyway, like I was saying, the Great Wolves, the BBM – don't you even start – and the astrid Knights of Dawn. They're all creating chaos. Shut up, shut up. Yes, I realize that is your name. We should have just enough cover to make it to the outskirts of the Gardens."

"And then we'll get devoured by a psychotic Fairy Wolf," finishes Chaos sarcastically. "What fun. Brilliant plan you have here. I blame you, Bracken."

"What?" cries Bracken indignantly at the same time Seth says, "No, Chaos. She won't eat us whole as long as we have you with us. She promised that she wouldn't. Oh, and something about wanting to hear your opera voice."

Chaos sighs. "Bracken, your plan-making ideas are officially the worst I have ever seen in my life. Shame on you. But hey, I'm going to die eventually. Why not give the Fairy King a scare? Ooo, here come the cat demons! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

With a devilish cackle, Chaos flies down the hall.

* * *

River-Song watches the battle with diluted interest from atop one of her towering trees. In the heat of the warrior's swords clashing against bullets, the snow had melted away, revealing a jagged and awful landscape underneath. The firebirds and other exotic creatures that'd been imprisoned fly free and wreak havoc on everyone and everything they meet. She'd already swallowed down one flaming chicken nugget already, leaving her sinuses burning.

Reaching over with one slender human hand, River-Song plucks a piece of popcorn from her round red-and-white paper bowl and pops it in her mouth, savoring the buttery flavor and the sharp stab of the salt riddled throughout it. She nods in approval.

When are the interesting characters going to arrive? Sure, the Fairy King is hilarious in his own little way, but she could use a dose of Chaos's resilient sass. Her eyes skate the busy landscape, but there's no sign of a striped pelt anywhere. With a sigh, she settles back into the leafy armchair.

"Nice view," compliments a voice out of the blue, stopping River-Song's heart.

River-Song snarls, her face twisting and her muzzle bones elongating as she wheels around to the direction of a voice. A man sits there, completely undaunted by her nails curling into talons. In fact, he has the nerve to raise one white eyebrow. His pale skin shimmers slightly, like he enjoys rolling around in glitter during his free time. The muss of white hair swirled atop his head seems to glow gold. He stares at her with pinkish orange eyes, and his pastel fairy wings fan the air in controlled flaps.

"And good weather," Brach compliments, lifting his head to allow a breeze to roll over his face. "Scratch that, great weather."

"What are you doing here, you little –" River-Song breaks off with a snarl, her face half-wolf in origin. Her ears poke from her crown of grey hair, and her fangs are sharp against her lower lip. A growl rips through her entire body.

Brach's eyebrows shoot up even higher. "And you can do sorta-wolf! I tried that once. I've got one or the other. A little bit like showers; you can never get them just right."

River-Song freezes, her limbs pausing. She can't help it. Her brow scrunches and she asks, "What on earth are you trying to do here, midget? Get yourself eaten? Because, boy, if you're suicidal already, then Cadeliah's only son really is turning our sour."

Brach chuckles. "That was so below the belt it's funny. I'm not suicidal. You are."

River-Song raises an eyebrow, but her heart skips a beat. "Oh, really? When you come up with that one? Struggling with your shower?"

"No." His eyes study her face, and a flicker of concern flashes over his handsome features. "I've been noticing it for a while. The way you look at happy things is a good indicator. You're not happy, so why should they be? I started noticing it that night at Caelum Amplexu. Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone. Not even Kendra. But you're really miserable, aren't you? You hate your life. You don't know why you keep living it."

River-Song hates how shaky human hands are. "I guess you really do have your mumma's brain. Interesting."

Brach shrugs. "It's not all that difficult to tell if something's wrong with people you care about," he deadpans. Those exotic eyes are filled with concern. "I can tell you why you keep living, if you'd like. I can tell you why you have to soldier on."

"Oh, can you?" challenges River-Song, narrowing her eyes. "Give it your best shot, you're not the first."

"Three words." He cocks an eyebrow. "Because you must." Brach tilts his head to the sky and shakes a fist. "Take that, romantic geeks!" he shouts at nothing in particular. Then, turning bashfully down to her, he apologizes. "Sorry about that. You never know where an owl girl is hiding. But, River-Song, life's going to be tough. It's not going to lessen up on you, either. There will be times that are quote-on-quote happy, and there's going to be times that you feel like burying your head in the sand. But – when life gives you lemonade, you make lemons." He blinks. "No, wait. I said that wrong, didn't I?"

River-Song laughs despite herself. "Just a little bit, yeah. So, how do you suggest I seize the day, Confucius?

Brach lifts an eyebrow. He waves a hand at the battle unfolding below. "You could pitch in. That'd be nice. You could—"

"I knew it," snarls River-Song, her walls slamming back up. "You just want me for my fighting abilities." With a hostile glare, she scoots further away from him and bares her teeth. "Not today, puppy."

"I didn't—" He looks surprised.

"Oh," River-Song roars, "I'm sure you didn't!" She curls up in a ball, eyes glued on the fight scene so she won't cry. Tears prickle at her eyes all the same. "That's what they _all_ say. They _all_ say it. _Every_ one of them. Over and over again. I'm sick. So _sick_ of it. Of this. Of me. Of you. Go away. Please. And in please I mean now or I'll – I'll – do something bad!"

Brach's voice is unusually soft. "I didn't mean this particular battle. I mean maybe you should give people a reason to respect you other than your admittedly long fangs. Do something admirable. You and I, we could go strike up a fight somewhere. Heck, let's go start World War III. I just don't like you looking so sad."

River-Song pulls her head out from underneath her knees. She stares at Brach's kind face, analyzing the twinkle in his eyes and the smile playing at his lips. "You… you mean it?" she says slowly.

The smile broadens, and Brach offers one hand. "Trust me. I'm legit."

The ghost of a smile on her face, River-Song takes Brach's hand.

* * *

The light is warm on Kendra's arms. She stands there for a second, tears blurring her vision, as the sunlight pours over her skin, dancing through her hair and filling her soul with heat. After so long in the darkness, she's lost her tan, but, already, Kendra can feel the light working away at that. Occasionally, the fiery bloom of a bomb bursting overhead rocks the ground and screams of pain ring over the jagged hills, but it doesn't faze Kendra. She closes her eyes, allowing the warmth to pool over her skin.

The battlefield is utter chaos, like Seth had said. Piercing whinnies of unicorns crying out in agony mingle with the furious howls of wolves. Kendra opens her eyes and studies the carnage from her high vantage point on the castle ridge. She can't tell where one body begins and another ends. Astrids swoop down from their positions in the sky and claw at camouflage tanks, and BBM warriors in dark cloaks go head-to-head with soldiers on foot. Mounted men ride genetically modified horses into battle with the majestic unicorns. Everywhere you turn, a wolf is brawling with two other Bakeneko.

Looming above her, the cruel black spires of Castle Cruor or something like that whisper. The sun glints off the obsidian black stone. It would be a lie to say that they aren't pretty; no, the towers and walls of the medieval castle are beautiful. But they are a wicked sort of beautiful, the type of beautiful that makes you have nightmares every night. Kendra had not known that she lie beneath a fantastic fortress, nor that Jadium had access to a fortress in the first place.

Bracken appears behind her, his warmth spooking Kendra. She jumps back and away from him, flinching away from his touch. Fear creeps into Kendra's throat, quickly succeeded by self-horror. Bracken stares at her in surprise, standing where she had just moments before.

"Kendra, are you alright?" he asks softly, but, even as her unicorn says it, he realizes what'd happened. "Oh…" Apology shines in Bracken's eyes. He starts to take a step forward, but then pauses, his foot hanging over the ground. "What was it?" Bracken's voice is infinitely soft. "What did I do wrong, just for future reference?"

Kendra looks at the ground, studying the mixture of grey pebbles with smooth black stones. "I – I'm sorry," she whispers, voice breaking.

"It isn't your fault," forgives Bracken instantly, "it's mine. I should've known better not to creep up on you after that… ah, that Insert-Naughty-Word-Here got his claws into you."

Kendra sighs. Her eyes stray up Bracken's figure, admiring every flexed muscle and every curve. The tight white shirt is splattered with grime. His jeans are ratty and clawed from the Bakeneko talons. The long, flowing cloak only accents his height and the silvery pallor of his skin. A nick of dirt runs along his nose and cheek. There's still a damp spot on his shirt where Kendra had cried into him. "I guess… I guess it was the surprise, and your… masculinity. Most of the time, I love your… maleness, but when I don't know it's coming, I guess my brain just assumes that it's one of them." Kendra jabs a finger at the battling men in the valley below.

Bracken's eyes soften like butter in a microwave. He seems almost heartbroken, and his face is so filled with raw love that Kendra shivers slightly. "I'm so, so sorry, Kendra. This is all my fault. I should've known that you were the target since the beginning. I should've driven with you to school, I should've never allowed you out of my sight. And – and – I should've gotten to you so much sooner. But I physically couldn't. I'm sorry. From the moment I saw you lifted away in that helicopter, saw your face from that foggy window, I couldn't. I'm sorry. I –" Bracken buries his head in his hand, unmindful of the screams of his kindred fighting. "My fault."

Kendra shakes her head. "You're a rather romantic idiot, you know that? Come over here and hug me. I'm fine now."

Bracken's eyes melt. He steps forward, arms outstretched, and Kendra goes loose in his embrace. Nuzzling against his chest, Kendra settles her ear over his heart. It takes a moment, but she can hear it pounding beneath layers of flesh and blood. Kendra sighs and nestles in closer, cuddling her body underneath the crook of his arm. That wonderful, beautiful heartbeat.

"I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" groans Chaos, breaking apart the moment fantastically. The big wolf rolls his violet eyes with a sigh, moving into Kendra's line of sight. "Silly lovebirds. Get a room already. It's becoming disgusting. Isn't that right, Seth?"

"I wouldn't say disgusting," harrumphs Seth. "Maybe revolting."

"I care not what you say," decides Bracken, squeezing Kendra a bit tighter. Kendra glances up at him, smiling. "But we do need to hurry, and you were being slow. Why not spend a bit of time catching up?"

"Hurry," approves Chaos with a crisp nod of his head. "And, at the speed that you were running, Seth, we're going to be dead before we get halfway across. My suggestion is that Kendra hitch a ride with you, Bracken, and I'll cart this dunce through a minefield of trouble. Whadaya say?"

"Sounds good." Bracken looks down at Kendra. "You tell me if at any time, I hurt you, alright?"

"Uh, okay," agrees Kendra, frowning. "But why –" She cuts off with a noise of surprise as Bracken gently slings her onto his back. Confused, Kendra locks her arms around his sweaty throat. Bracken grabs her ankles and links Kendra's bare feet around his torso. She rests her cheek against Bracken's temple, each rocky breath swirling through his ear.

"Bracken, what –" Bracken says nothing, but nods his head to swear Seth is getting a somewhat less ginger treatment from Chaos. The wolf snarls and shoves Seth onto his withers. Kendra's brother is so confused as he slides off Chaos's fur repeatedly that she laughs quietly.

"Haste is essential," sighs Bracken.

"I know." Chaos snarls at Seth. "It isn't me. It's this goddamned idiot."

"Be nice, Chaos," scolds Kendra, suddenly feeling defensive of her little brother. "He came all this way for you, and you're treating him like crap. You could at least be nice."

"Nice is not a word in my vocabulary." Chaos turns back to Bracken, and the two exchange another confidential conversation in quiet voices. "What you think, unicorn? We could go around, but there's probably a bunch of little minions hiding there, too. If we cut through the center, we'll just be one of a crowd."

"Or we'll get struck by a stray bullet." Bracken awkwardly picks at something at his neck. Kendra, realizing his intent, shifts around his hands, allowing Bracken to slide the black cloak out from under him. He reaches back and hands it to her. "Put that on, will you? I know you love the sun again, but I enjoy you alive more."

"Okay," whispers Kendra, latching the cloak around her neck. The silky fabric feels good against her skin. "But what – whoa!"

Bracken starts out over the battleground like a freaking deer. He bounds forward, legs pounding against the ground in a rhythmic beat. Kendra squeaks and holds tighter, practically straggling his neck. Her numb arms feel like lead, but she only holds tighter. It's far from comfortable. Kendra smacks against his back with every stride. But she can't help admiring the speed at which Bracken's moving.

They fly through the battle like a bullet. Occasionally, something will amble into Bracken's precise path, and he'll veer, jostling Kendra again. But mostly, it's smooth sailing. As they race past a huge group of Bakeneko, Brach lifts his head and release a burst of energy to repel the creatures from Bracken. With her loose fingers, she tries to wave.

Chaos thunders past, his stride the powerful race of a predator when compared to Bracken's light sprint. The cloak elongates his figure and helps illustrate the character of a dark warrior. Everywhere he goes, BBM warriors cry out for joy, bow their heads, and then continue stabbing stuff with plastic swords. Astrids tip their heads in Bracken's presence. Once, a particularly white unicorn bugles directly in Bracken's face as he races past.

Kendra tries to hold tighter, latching like a vise around his middle. Underneath her skin, his muscles flex with enormous power, and she can feel the hard flesh beneath her fingertips. It isn't great for her focus.

"We're two-thirds through," she murmurs with difficulty into Bracken's ear. He sighs heavily, and she realizes she'd probably just jinxed it.

And she had.

A dusky brown Bakeneko with amber eyes snarls and puts itself in Bracken's path, long tail twitching. Bracken desperately tries to sprint around it, but one of its hooked paws dart out to block his path. Bracken comes to a screeching halt before he can run into the beast's claws, and backs away nervously, eyeing the talons of the Bakeneko. Kendra, jostled by his sudden stop, takes advantage of the moment to tighten her grip on him.

The Bakeneko snarls and rears up on its hind legs. Chaos appears next to Bracken, snarling in contest. The two face off with bitter growls and roars, but Kendra has a feeling that Chaos is only biding his time. Seth looks frightened on Chaos's back, gripping the wolf's fur desperately.

The Bakeneko drops back to four legs, sinking into a crouch. A feline growl rumbling in its chest, it creeps towards Chaos with padded paws. Its claws click over the rocky ground as it approaches, lips pricked over its massive saber-tooth fangs. Reflecting the light off its bronze coat, the tabby pattern looks sinister and alien.

Kendra's heart is just beginning to pound when a beast descends from below. Smashing into the earth like a meteorite, a massive scarlet dragon sinks its long black talons into the poor Bakeneko. It yowls with surprise as the dragon squashes it into the ground. The dragon's wings fly out, and Bracken has to duck to avoid getting clipped by one of the wide limbs. Chaos gets smacked upside the head.

The dragon roars and makes mincemeat out of the Bakeneko with its almost ridiculously long talons, slashing and hacking into the cat's flesh. Kendra buries her head into Bracken's neck, avoiding the glazed gaze of the tortured Bakeneko. Bracken is a taunt as a bowstring, every muscle tensed. The dragon's long, snakelike tail whips around it as the beast turns to face Chaos.

The scaly monster is, in all honesty, beautiful. Its blood red scales reflect the light of the afternoon sun. Two elegant horns curl from the top of its regal head, and a webbed frill rings its cheeks. To expressive black eyes shine and glitter. Kendra finds herself meeting the dragon's gaze, but not feeling even an inkling of fear. Along its spine, flat scales grow, each shaped like protective plates. The patchwork of scales moving from scarlet to beige on its flat stomach is beautiful. It has a long neck which it holds upright, and slender limbs. A long, long tail snaps behind it, fringed with hairs at the tip. On one beefy shoulder, a topaz moon had been painted. He's smaller than a full-size dragon, bigger than Raxtus, but still bigger than a house.

"Crimson!" roars Chaos in delight. "Is it good to see you, Your Scariness!"

Seth makes a noise of surprise in his throat, and almost slips off of Chaos. "Crimson?" he yelps in surprise, craning his neck to look up at the majestic creature.

The dragon, Crimson, apparently, chuckles, a deep and ancient noise, like two river stones rubbing against one another. He flexes his broad wings and tickles his claws against the ground. "Did you really assume me to be human? I did not play the part well."

"Wait," yelps Kendra, "what?"

"I guess that makes sense," considers Bracken thoughtfully. "Crimson, can you cover our retreat?"

The dragon nods curtly, the frill on either side of his face standing on end. A hiss rings from his lungs, and the dragon takes to the sky again with a powerful beat of his batlike wings. Kendra watches him ascend until he's little more than a speck on the horizon.

"Come on!" bellows Chaos, plunging forward into a sprint once more. Bracken follows suit, not giving Kendra the adequate time to adjust her grip. Her arms clutch at him desperately, and she hooks her ankles to try and stay on better.

The line of trees that the pair seems to be aiming for gets closer and closer, drawing nearer. Kendra holds on, tears springing in her eyes from the wind in her face. Her fingers knot into Bracken's shirt, and his cloak flaps behind her.

With one last burst of energy, Bracken hurls them into the forest. Kendra feels herself slipping forward. She tumbles off his shoulders and dives into the leaves covering the ground, coughing slightly. Spitting leaves from her mouth, Kendra rises to her hands and knees, shaking her head to clear it.

"Kendra!" Bracken calls from somewhere to her right. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

"Fine!" answers Kendra, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm over here! Just got a few scrapes!" She looks around at the high bushes and the towering silver trees. "Where is Seth? And Chaos?"

Bracken falls silent for a moment. "We crossed the border alone, Kendra."

* * *

"Take that!" howls Chaos ecstatically. He rams a hind paw into the Bakeneko's face, vaulting himself in the air. "And that!"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" shouts Seth from Chaos's back, holding onto his fur for dear life.

"Oh, yes!" cackles Chaos. "I can't wait until we grab the paintball guns!"

* * *

**Ah, Chaos. You gotta love him. **

**I was thinking about opening up a roleplay forum. Yay or nay?**

**I'm offering a Beta Reader service now. If you've got fanfictions of your own, please, send me a PM! I'd love to help you out with it!**

**POLL: Do you think Brach succeeded in rousing River-Song from her depression? If so, where do you think he took her to kick butt? **

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	20. Chapter 19

**As always, sorry for the wait!**

**To StarFire: I guess I didn't make that clear (my bad), but Bracken healed his lady friend with his awesome sauce unicorn powers in that suave unicorn way he has. Sorry for the confusion!**

**I should tell you that you guys rock. Seriously. I've got 1300+ views. That is incredible. You have no idea how much that means to me. Thanks.**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

Chaos hurtles over Kendra's head, landing with an oh-so-graceful smash into the bushes. His feet slide through the brush, paws kicking up waves of golden leaves in his wake. The trail he leaves in his wake exposes the damp earth beneath, the fertile soil a dark, dark shade of brown. Ungracefully, he falls to the ground with heaving pants, spilling Seth in a swirl of cloaks from his shoulders.

"Seth!" shrieks Kendra, scrambling over the crinkly yellow leaves, crouching by her brother's side. Groaning, Seth shifts onto his back and rolls his head towards Kendra. Gingerly, she cups his filthy cheeks and strokes his sweaty hair from his face. "Seth! Are you alright?"

"Fine and dandy," he moans, propping himself up on his elbows. Blinking, Kendra's brother takes in the ethereally beautiful aura of their surroundings. His mouth drops open. "What the –"

Light filters in through the muted emerald leaves, creating soft, soothing beams glimmering all throughout the forest. The canopy is high above, maybe forty feet in the air. There isn't so much as a stray twig protruding from the smooth silvery trunks reaching to the sky. The ground is covered with pastel yellow leaves, and only a few bushes on the outer rim of the woods grow. The air is crisp and smells like it does just after a morning rain. The scent almost makes Kendra drowsy. The moisture in the air is relaxing, refreshing. The smell of the dirt is heady in its own way. Smiling, Kendra feels herself beginning to nod off.

"Whoa, there," Bracken cautions, appearing behind Kendra. He claps a hand on her shoulder, waking her from her daze with a start. Kendra sniffs as all her sinuses are drained, and the world spins around her. Bracken crouches and lays a hand on her cheek, tilting Kendra's head towards him until she's looking into his eyes. "Focus, love. On me. Ignore the forest."

"It's hard to notice anything else when you're around," murmurs Kendra, nestling up to his chest, ignoring the alluring trees and concentrating on Bracken's warmth. "What was that?"

"The flowers blooming at the top of these trees, the Lotus Trees, I believe they are called, emit an air-ridden poison," he explains, each word sending a vibration through his lungs. "It is unnoticeable to creatures of the dark element such as your brother or Chaos, but causes any creature favoring light to become drowsy and a bit loopy; nasty stuff, we learned about it when I was just a foal. I was hoping there wouldn't be enough light in your veins to effect you, but, apparently, miracles don't happen." Bracken's arms curl her tighter to his chest. "Don't worry, I'll help you figure out right from wrong."

Kendra smiles up at him, twisting her arms around his neck and rubbing the bruised tendons there. She traces the outline of where Chaos had bit him recently. "And I'll help you, too."

"Threesome!" shrieks Chaos, wiggling his head between their arms and glancing at the two of them in staged excitement.

Bracken has run out of patience. Kendra can see it in his eyes. He unwinds one hand from Kendra's embrace and uses it to shove the wolf's head away roughly, sending the striped canine back into Seth. Then he latches back onto Kendra, cradling her in his muscled arms.

Chaos sticks out his lower lip in a pout. "You've hurt my feelings, Bracken. And it will get better, for the two of you. At first, prolonged exposure only brings worsened effects, but then, as the body grows accustomed to the toxins, it learns how to exile them. You'll be fine in a day or so."

"A day or two?" Unease worms its way into Kendra's stomach. "How long do you plan to be out here?"

Chaos's eyes sweep the forest sinisterly. "As long as River-Song wants us to be." He frowns and ruins the moment by scratching his ear with a hind paw. "But I'm interested in finally exploring this place. There's a lot of lore focused in this area."

"Lore?" Bracken cocks his head. "I do not know of much other than this place being the final resting ground for countless unicorns over the centuries. I was not aware there was more to its history than that."

Chaos breathes out. He gazes at the forest, at the white trees and the golden leaves and the emerald canopies. "Look at this place. Look at the ground. Look at the sunlight. Look at everything. See everything. Perhaps you are too miniscule in the grand scheme of things to notice, but really look. There is something important about these woods. Something ancient. Something powerful. There's something richer in the scent, something brighter in the colors, something clearer in the sounds. The Whiteblood Gardens radiates magic. And there is a reason for that. However, beneath the glaring light, I care not to tell, in fear of what could be watching me."

A shiver jerks through Kendra. Bracken's arms tighten around her.

"Thank you, Chaos," groans Seth sarcastically. "That's exactly what we needed to hear. From now on, your name is Captain Sunshine."

"I may speak the disturbing, but I always speak the truth," states Chaos matter-of-factly, shaking the fresh dirt from his fur as he rises elegantly to his paws. Gazing down with powerful purple eyes, Chaos studies Kendra. She meets him in a stare-down, despite the fact that her head is starting to swim with the delusions of the Lotus Trees again.

"Why is the ground so…" Seth trails off with a frown. "I dunno, good? It's good soil." He pats the dirt and nods. "Very good soil."

Kendra does a massive face-palm. Against her, Bracken goes rigid. His words send ice flowing through Kendra's veins instead of warm blood. "That means the bones of a unicorn have rotted there," explains Bracken softly, a barely discernible tightness in his voice. "We have the most rich of all decay."

Kendra's heart clinches in sympathy. Gently, she lays a hand on his heart and another on his cheek. Bracken gazes down at her with eyes that are almost tortured, and he sweeps a strand of her hair from her face. Kendra plants a kiss on the tip of his nose, very conscious of their company, and burrows back against his chest. His warmth is so wonderful. What she would've given to have this back in the cell.

"I suggest we press onward," sighs Chaos, leaping to his feet agilely. "The faster we get out of here, the less time we spend as River-Song's playthings. And nobody – repeat, _nobody_ – wants to be in this forest for long."

* * *

"You're crazy!" yelps Brach as he snaps up the neck of yet another demon throwing themselves at him. To River-Song, he sounds more amused than anything else. "Complete and utterly crazy! Psycho! Loony as a loony bird! That's good, because so am I!"

River-Song flashes him a sultry glance, ripping off the head of a demon with a single blow. "We fit together well. Maybe I'll invite you to spend some more time with me… one on one."

Brach laughs tensely. With a growl, he vaults off the rocky stone and leaps over a line of the monsters. "With fangs like those, you'd be an awful kisser."

River-Song grins at him, displaying each and every one of her teeth. Then she turns and rams them into one of the many throats of a particularly ugly creature with four heads and one tail, but nothing else. It roars in pain as she sends it flying backwards. "Oh, so you like my fangs, is that it? Well, I'll snarl at you more often, if that gets the job done."

"Your fangs are definitely sexy." Brach pulls into a flip, and lands on the two legs of his handsome human form. Unsheathing his gleaming golden swords, Brach twists around to meet the oncoming demon horde with a fantastic flex of gleaming muscles. "But what I find really sexy is your insanity. _We're in freaking Zzyxx!_"

"You said anywhere," points out River-Song, glancing off of one of the demon's turtlelike backs and hopping to a higher vantage point. "I took us to one of the greatest funhouses in all of history."

"Great way to start a first date," chuckles Brach, slicing a wolflike demon out of the air. The silver wolf with platinum wings yelps and materializes to fine dust. Brach continues his dancing battle, darting in and out and ducking, fending off all the demons that dared approach him.

River-Song is, of course, doing at least five times better. Her claws swing out in front of her like the scythes of the reaper, and her fangs rip like knives through demonic flesh. Her fragile wings are carefully pinned to her sides, as not to get tangled up in the heat of battle. "If you wanted sane, then you should've gone for a different girl!" she howls back at him, momentarily losing his white figure in the herd of black.

Brach appears by her side with a devilish smile, his four paws braced against the earth. "And miss this? Not for the world!" The wolf leans a bit closer, speaking in a voice that's barely audible over the snarls of the demons. "Besides, just between you and me, I'm not totally sane, either."

* * *

The woods seriously freak Seth out.

I mean, sure, they're pretty and all, but, like Chaos had said, there's something fundamentally wrong with the air. Wherever he goes, he feels like he's being watched by something more than mortal. The way the wind rustles through the bright leaves is downright creepy, because it sounds a heck of a lot like voices. Plus, despite their best intentions, Bracken or Kendra will periodically just meander off, only beckoned back by Chaos's firm tactics.

Seth isn't sure how long they've been walking for. His feet feel like lead. Already, they'd passed a dozen places that Bracken had pointed out to be the gravesites of various fairy creatures. Seth's respect for River-Song builds for everything Bracken points out, as does his fear of her.

Chaos leads them through the forests. To Seth, the smooth trunks look all the same. But with his nose and his blue opal, apparently, Chaos guides them through the Whiteblood Gardens. They'd passed a particularly beautiful stream about an hour back that Chaos had called the Fountain of Youth. The wolf had also warned them not to touch the waters whatsoever, and that all the tales surrounding the mythological waterfall were fake.

Throughout the long trek, Kendra and Bracken had been very cuddly. Bracken does not let Kendra get more than ten feet away from him at any point in time, and he always keeps his eyes locked on the back of her head if she's not under his arm. Occasionally, they'll start making out. But they'd been doing less and less of that, especially in front of Chaos. Whenever the hysterical wolf saw the two getting to the saucy part of love, he began whistling "Here Comes the Bride." It'd annoyed the pair, but what had really ticked them off is when he began opera singing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from Lion King.

Seth admits, Chaos has a great voice.

The absolute silence is creepy to Seth, especially in these twinkling woods. His eyes are constantly scanning for threats, because there's no way anything is ever this quiet. Rubbing his hand on the hilt of Vasilis II, Seth hurries over to Chaos's side.

The wolf doesn't acknowledge Seth's presence with more than a casual flick of his ears. "Hey, Chaos," Seth breathes. "Do you think River-Song might break her vow and make quick work of Brackendra? I think she'd be able to chop them up pretty bad before we even realized anything was wrong."

"Anything is possible with my sister." He shrugs. "But I have a feeling we're more like entertainment than livestock to her. I guess you could say it's River-Song's front row tickets to the latest Brackendra scandal. Well, no, not scandal. That's the wrong word."

"I'll say," harrumphs Bracken from behind Seth. "An embarrassment, maybe. A torturing experience, sure. But a scandal? No."

"Couldn't agree more," adds Kendra. "Besides, we wouldn't let a psycho she wolf take us."

"Never, ever challenge River-Song," scolds Chaos, padding up. "Especially in her own territory. However, she seems to be missing at the moment. If she does magically show up, shove Seth to be eaten first.

Without even looking at the wolf, Seth flashes Chaos with a certain finger.

Chaos opens his mouth to counter cleverly, but is rudely interrupted by something plummeting through the trees and landing at his feet. Blinking in surprise, Chaos jumps back from the colorful parcel with a _ruff_ of surprise. It bounces slightly, and rolls. Kendra gawks at it in surprise, and Seth flinches from the bundle of fabric. Bracken cocks an eyebrow and plucks a note bound by the ropes up.

He unravels the piece of paper, studying it thoroughly before actually moving onto the written text. Chaos ambles off talking about his poor old heart not taking abuse such as that, but nobody really pays him any attention. He's just the little crackhead in the corner. Both of Bracken's eyebrows shoot up, and he begins to read aloud.

"To the poor little souls caught in the Whiteblood Gardens: This is so Seth doesn't have to sleep on the ground and ruin his already awful posture. Xho Xho—"

"You pronounce it like X-O, Bracken," laughs Kendra.

He tilts his head, looking sideways at her. "I've always pronounced it like Xho, so I will say Xho."

"That's not proper English," she chides, rolling her eyes. But her fingers lace through his, leaning her head on Bracken's shoulder.

"Would you prefer me to speak it in another language?" chuckles Bracken. He leans his head to her ear and whispers something in another garbled speech. Kendra elbows him, but she's smiling. The way they look at each other either makes Seth happy, or he wants to barf. Honestly, he isn't sure.

"Enough lovey gush!" wails Chaos. "You're goring my eyes out! TELL ME WHO SETH'S GIRLFRIEND IS!"

"XOXO, Cassandra," recites Kendra. She stares up at Bracken. "You know about this, unicorn?"

He holds up his hands in surrender and shrugs. "I had no idea. I thought she was just helping out."

Chaos shoots to his feet with a maniacal cackle. He darts of into the woods, singing, "CASSANDRA AND SETH SITTING IN ZZYXX, K-I-L-L-I-N-G! FIRST COMES DEATH, THEN COMES MURDER, THEN COMES A SHEEP AND A SHEEP HERDER! I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE NOTICED, BUT THAT REALLY FELL APART TOWARDS THE END."

Seth can feel his cheeks flaming, and knows that he's probably bright red. His ears burn. Glaring at the ground, Seth refuses to meet his sister's eyes when she softly asks, "Do you like Cassandra, Seth?"

Seth keeps his eyes glued to the yellow leaves and doesn't speak.

"Seth?" she prompts again.

"A little bit," he sighs, letting out a breath. Seth allows himself a quick glance at Kendra's face. "She's hot. And loyal. But I dunno. I guess. I mean – okay, yes, I do have a crush on Cassandra."

Kendra grins. She grins at Seth for a while. Then she grins at the trees. Then she grins at the form of Chaos darting through the trees with his jingles. Lastly she grins at Bracken, looking positively smug. "I told you we'd get to him. This is all because of Zia and I."

"I wouldn't go that far," mutters Seth, but at that exact moment, Chaos barrels past. "Actually, that far is good. Stay there."

"HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!" bellows Chaos with joy. "HAHAHAHA!"

"He's really enjoying this, isn't he?" muses Kendra, shaking her head as the wolf dashes off into the distance. "I mean, that or he's drunk. But I don't think there's any alcohol flowers that exist" – Bracken coughs and looks slightly guilty – "so he must be pretty happy. Anyway, what did your girlfriend send us?"

Seth kneels down and unravels the package. A grim spreads over his face as he recognizes the tents from back at home, the tents stocked in the garage at Fablehaven. Kendra laughs with joy at the sight of them, too. Bracken stays quiet, maybe still guilty about the alcoholic flowers. He claps his knee and grins at the fabric.

"The tents!" exclaims Kendra. "Well, two of them. Wait, how did Cassandra get the tents?"

"Not sure." Bracken's voice is puzzled. "That should be impossible. Flying over the Whiteblood Gardens should be risky, as well. She's one impossible bird."

"That she is." Chaos marches up, apparently over his giggle fit. "We should probably find a place to pitch camp for the night. Maybe backtrack a bit to that pile of silvery rocks we passed earlier. That would make an ideal place for me to stand watch."

Kendra frowns. "But it isn't even dark yet."

"This place is odd," explains Chaos with a shake of his head. The cowl is up on his cloak, something that rarely happens anymore. From the shadows harbored underneath the hood, Chaos's purple eyes glow softly. His striped muzzle juts out sinisterly, and the wolf's movements are hidden beneath the folds of the cloak. "The light of day is sustained well past nightfall here. Then, suddenly, like a person turning off a light, the entire forest is plunged into darkness. It's very creepy. And if you think this place is eerie during the daytime, you don't want to be wandering these parts at night. Any wolf who lends his ear to the tales has heard quite a few about the nights of Whiteblood Gardens. Yes, we'd best be going."

"I agree whole-heartedly," murmurs Bracken, his eyes scanning the woods. "They may be simple filly's tales, but I do not want to stand out here in the night without some form of protection."

"Right this way, gentlemen." Chaos turns on heel and leads them back the way they'd came, just the billow of a dark cape. "This way."

LINE BREAK

"Bracken?" Something settles on the small of his sleeping back, the soft touch jerking Bracken awake. "Bracken? Hello?"

Groaning quietly in his throat, Bracken twists his legs around to look at Kendra. Bunched around her is Chaos's cloak, which he had surrendered to her as a blanket. Her green eyes shine in the darkness, glimmering with fear.

Most of the time, Bracken would've shot to his feet and cuddled her until she couldn't feel her arms anymore. But it's the middle of the night, and the old elk pelt Chaos had dug up is very warm when compared to the chilly night. Bracken's limbs feel like lead as he turns himself to Kendra with difficulty, his unfocused eyes fixing as best they can on her form against the open tent flap.

"Kendra," he moans. "What are you –"

"Sorry," she whispers, glancing at the sleeping and snoring mound of her brother. "Keep it down, will ya?"

Kendra had received her own tent, leaving Bracken to share one with Seth's constant snores. After much tossing and turning, he'd grown accustomed to the snotty roars. Kendra had been a silent sleeper for the most part. He'd purposefully set himself close to the edge of his tent so that he could listen in if anything happened. Bracken hadn't been awakened, and yet here she is, standing at the mouth of the tent.

"What's going on, Kendra?" murmurs Bracken tiredly, propping himself up on an elbow. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." Her voice is miserable. "I'm so weak. Such a wimp. I hate it, I hate it so much. I'm so wimpy that I can't even spend a night in my tent alone. I'm –"

"Whoa, whoa," mumbles Bracken, his eyesight focusing. "That's not true. What happened?"

"I – I – I had a nightmare." Kendra glances at the floor with shame. "I am so incredibly frail that I can't even deal with it by myself. It was pretty bad, and he was there and I just couldn't –" Kendra breaks off, a shiver running through her body. "He did horrible things to me. I woke up drenched in sweat and shaking like a leaf. I tried looking for Chaos initially, but he conveniently disappeared. So I thought maybe…"

"Maybe what?" prompts Bracken softly, sympathy ripping his heart apart slowly.

Hope shines in her green eyes, and Bracken melts at the sight of the little girl he sees for a moment. "Maybe I could spend it with you…? I mean, nothing complicated, just… There's a lot of room in this tent, I could go to that spare corner over there…"

"No need." Bracken scoots aside, throwing up the corner of his blanket in an offering. He extends an arm in greeting. "I'm willing to hold you."

Kendra's eyes blaze with love. "Really?"

Bracken nods, waving her forward. "Come to bed. It's late."

Kendra skips forward, tugging Chaos's cloak along with her. She hesitates in front of Bracken, looming above him, before gently laying her cloak down atop the elk pelt. The added warmth should make it positively toasty. Then, sliding in beside Bracken, Kendra crouches and pulls the coverings over her. She leaves a few inches of space between them, but that won't do. With one arm, Bracken hugs Kendra against him.

Kendra snuggles up against his chest, and Bracken curls his legs around her. Her warmth is maddening. With a deep sigh, Bracken buries his head into her filthy hair and breathes in her scent. "Ah, Kendra," he whispers. "I've missed you so much."

Kendra's hands wrap around his neck. "Bet you ten bucks I missed you more. I bet _twenty_ bucks I missed a bathroom more than you."

Bracken chuckles, playing with a strand of her hair. "Go to sleep, Kendra. I'll chase all your nightmares away. Every single one."

* * *

**D'aww, that bit made me smile. **

**I am going to make a bit of a roleplay forum, but just for the BBM, where you list your abilities and receive missions and orders from officers like Crimson, Cira, and even Chaos (I just realized those all start with C's. Cira is a female officer.)**

**POLL: So, River-Song and Brach are busting heads in Zzyxx. That can't possibly end well. How do you think it's going to affect our little gang of heroes?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	21. Chapter 20

**And this chapter has arrived**

**To StarFire: I guess the prom has happened. I was a little preoccupied in the storyline to remember that one. Huh. The others will be coming up in this chapter. When Kendra was abducted, it was, say, December second or something. One of the first days. Two weeks passed and two days, amounting up to sixteen days. Add that to Dec 2****nd**** and we get Dec 18****th****. They might cut it close, but I think that Chaos can still make it home, don't you? (PS: thanks for the criticism!)**

**Guest: it will be explained, don't worry your little head off. I always explain.**

**I just wanted to say that I have more reviews in this twenty chapter fanfiction than in Time and Time Again, my forty chapter fanfiction. You guys rock.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

Boro patrols up and down his Great Wolves. With every pained pawstep, the wounds along his shoulder sting with more bite. Every single one of them had fought bravely, and the casualties had been light. All around him, wolves lick their wounds and rest against loved ones' warmth. They all rise to their legs if they can and bow respectfully to Boro as he passes. Boro turns back to them and bows just as lowly.

He really isn't certain why wolves place such reverence into the leaders of their battles. Boro may have planned this, he may have given them the roar that propelled them forward, but it was really the wolves who did the work. The ones to be held in honor are not those who blow the whistle, but the ones who survive and those that don't. Each and every one of these warriors has done more than he. But there is no glory in claiming the victory for themselves. No, they'd much rather remain humble and blame their triumph on one who deserves it less so.

Boro scans the horizon. The last of the Hunters or whatever they'd called themselves are being rounded up, and gunshots scarcely echo over the valley. Along the east ridge, the Fairy King's armies are gathering. Boro frowns, watching the movements of the silky white pelts against the sunlight. The Fairy King had suffered blows to his unicorns, Boro knows, but his astrids had been virtually untouched. Boro is not certain about the wellbeing of the BBM, because they had all instantaneously exploded into fog as soon as the battle had been won.

Boro scans the trees of the Whiteblood Gardens, praying that the little getaway group had made it into the embrace of the ghostly trees safely. He had briefly seen the astrid trio make a quick escape into the sky, but hadn't seen more than that.

"Boro!" cries a voice. The female wolf's tone is riddled with anxiety and worry, strained and hoarse. Boro stiffens, jerking his head around. His ears twitch and swivel, honing in on the high voice of the speaker. Eyes screening the hundreds of faces, Boro locates the figure of a petite cream-colored wolf shoving through the crowd towards him. "Boro! Boro!"

Boro leaps forward, hopping over more than one head. He meets her halfway. Worry and fear claws at his heart. "Sand-Heart? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Fiona!"

Sand-Heart pants, each breath more of a heave than an instinct. Her eyes roll up to him, and they're filled with panic. Coughing with a raspy throat, Sand-Heart's entire body quivers. Her tongue lolls out of her mouth. Sweat drips from the tips of her fur, despite the icy temperatures. Her ears are flat against her skull. "Boro," she gasps. Fear shines in her eyes. "You'd better come, quickly. She needs you. It's… it's not going well."

* * *

Jadium sucks in a breath painfully. The air burns his throat and bites at his lungs, leaving trails of pain through his systems. With absurd difficulty, Jadium drags himself over to the display case, hooking his fingers in the plush carpet. Gasping, he grasps the polished wood corner of the ornately carved display with fervent desperation.

Pain laces through Jadium's chest. That god-awful unicorn had broken more than one of his bones, of that Jadium is sure. Grunting with pain and using the display as leverage, Jadium pushes himself to his feet. The world shakes and quivers and rocks. Jadium's muscles tremble so badly he can barely keep upright.

With a pant of pain, Jadium swings his fist into the glass case protecting the amulets from harm. With a sound so loud it pains his ears, the glass shatters and erupts over the vivid red carpet, like diamonds atop blood.

With fumbling fingers, Jadium grabs at the largest of them all. A particularly nasty curse, to save for the unicorn. A shaky smiles pulls over Jadium's face. Shoving the medallion down his shift for later use, Jadium's eyes skate over the rest of the display case's contents. His fingers close around another curse, one for death, perhaps for the wolf. He snatches up a ring to gift his newest wife with, one that will leave her writhing in agony. Clumsily, Jadium rakes through the contents of the velvet placing. Hex after hex he shoves down his shirt or throws over his neck. Finally, weighed down with a gargantuan load, of metal, Jadium turns to stagger off.

But then Jadium pauses.

He straightens and turns back to the shattered display case. His eyes land on the smallest medallion of them all, a small coin marked simply by a crown of thorns. A demonic grin spreading over Jadium's features, he reaches over and clutches it almost tenderly. The metal is warm beneath his fingertips. Jadium shoves this one in his pocket, for better safekeeping.

The footfalls of a Bakeneko rings in Jadium's ears. With such swiftness it leaves him dizzy, Jadium's head snaps to the entrance. A burly orange cat slinks through the hand-carved doorway, its shoulders leaking with blood. With dragging paws, it stumbles over to Jadium's side, resting its head at Jadium's knee.

With hidden disgust, Jadium pats the beast's head. "Hello there, my friend. I have one last favor to ask of you. I will be making my getaway in a mere matter of minutes, my friend, and I need you to help me." Jadium tilts his head towards the back doorway. "I will head down this hallway in a short time and escape. I need you to cause a distraction. Can you do that?"

The Bakeneko meets Jadium's eyes determinedly. Its whiskers twitch with acceptance. Jadium pats its head again.

"As soon as you hear the bell chime on the third call," soothes Jadium, stroking its ears, "you act." Jadium's eyes sweep over his home, his belongings, his precious trophies he'd been collecting for thousands of years. When he speaks again, his voice is cold. "On the bell chime of the third call, you burn this castle to the ground."

* * *

Seth ambles up to the fireside. The embers still his and crackle from the previous night's blaze, glowing and muting like the breath of a primitive beast. The smoke twirls in the air like a dancing ribbon, twisted and coiling. His eyes skate over to where Bracken reclines on the ground before the fire with Kendra on his lap.

"Have any of you seen Chaos?" Seth wonders, eyes trailing through the bright woods.

Kendra frowns. "Not since last night."

"The wolf hates me." Bracken shrugs. "Who knows where he is?"

Seth's eyes roam over the treacherous landscape. "I swear, if he got himself kidnapped again, I'm letting that dragon to the work. Crimson practically did nothing."

Bracken purses his lips. "Except for gift us with the cloaks that allowed us to remain unseen, organize a mass charge in order to distract Jadium's army, attack the Bakeneko that would've ripped Kendra and I to bits, and share his brownie recipe with me."

"You have a point with everything but the last one." Seth raises an eyebrow. "You swapped cooking secrets, dude? That's… weird."

"I'm agreeing." Kendra cranes her neck around to look at Bracken, scrunching her jaw. "The Fairy Prince and a demon dragon, bustling around in aprons? I'm just going to block that image, right now, before it gets out of control."

Bracken smiles sheepishly. "It's a good recipe. You may tease me now, but I'm going to bake it on Christmas morning."

Kendra grins, but then it falters. A now familiar mournfully frail look enters her green eyes. "How long away is that now?"

Bracken's arms tighten around her waist. Seth's fists ball into rage. Why hadn't he been able to get to Kendra? Why had his sister been reduced to this? She's his own flesh and blood. Seth should've been there to protect her. To rip that Jadium monster off of her. But he hadn't.

"Well," hums a voice in consideration, "that I really don't know, my dear. A little bit more than a week, I'd wager. Ha, I said wager. Haven't said that in centuries."

Seth jumps and twirls, his cloak fanning out around him, to Chaos. The pompous wolf is sticking his head through the flaps of the tent Kendra had abandoned, his fur ruffled in disarray. A yawn breaks across his striped features, displaying his large fangs in the bright sunlight.

"Chaos!" exclaims Kendra. "What are you doing in my tent?"

Chaos shrugs. "You weren't using it. I figured, why not? It's empty and much more cozy than this ground. This icky, blood-smelling ground. Seriously, it smells like blood. That makes my mouth water. Do you know how hard it is to get some sleep with a watering mouth?"

Seth gets a weird image of Chaos with a watering can melded to his face instead of jaws. Shaking the thought off, he sighs. "Chaos, you had me worried."

"Why?" Chaos harrumphs and smirks, coming forward and collapsing besides Kendra and Bracken. "It's just the Whiteblood Gardens, a place filled with so much danger that if you blink you'll be facing – no, wait, wrong fandom."

Kendra frowns. "I don't even see why we had to come to this place. Couldn't we just rocket through our armies and cross the boundaries without this hell?"

"Excellent question." Chaos grins at the smoldering embers. "Well, Kendra, you may not know this, but that would've been very bad. If you passed through the protection spell while it was still up and then crossed over the line, you would spontaneously combust. We'd have a Crispy Kendra on our hands, and I doubt that'd make Bracken very happy. The protection spell basically tags you with a little mental dart, one still picked up by the outer rim of the Castle Cruor. It will take quite some time for the wolves to break through those wards. We could've, I suppose, rocketed through the main gates, but there were army men crawling over the defenses like ants. We would've been gunned down, even his manliness over here." Chaos shoves Bracken forcefully. "Shot down like fish in a bucket. Sh, Kendra, that counts."

Kendra frowns deeper. With a long stick that she'd apparently discovered, she pokes at the coals, sending up a flurry of orange ashes. "But why couldn't we have just turned back? I mean, Bracken's a unicorn. He could set a track through the forest."

Seth raises a hand. Chaos's majestic head turns towards him, those amethyst eyes fixing on Seth's. "What is it, boy?"

"Can I go?" Seth's bubbling to do something _important_.

Chaos sighs. "Knock yourself out. First thing you get wrong, and I'll taunt you about it for the rest of your life."

Seth swallows. "This really wasn't stressful until you said that, Chaos." The wolf grins… well, wolfishly. "Anyway, Kendra, these woods aren't natural. If this place is a trap for unicorns, then it makes sense that Bracken wouldn't be able to leave without difficulty. A lot of difficulty. As for Chaos and I, well, we don't have any magical GPSs built in. If you do, time to come out of the closet. All of these trees look the same. There is no north star, nor a sunset to guide us. We are completely and utterly lost unless River-Song helps us out."

"Ah." Kendra nods. "That clears it up. Thanks, Seth." Her eyes dart from Seth to Chaos. "You know," she muses thoughtfully, "you're beginning to sound like your mentor, Seth."

"What?" Chaos sounds outraged. The wolf shoots to his feet, eyes blazing. "I am ten times more magnificent than your brother will ever be. I am Batman, and he's little retarded Robin. Everybody's like, 'Go sit in the corner, Robin, and let Batman save the day.' Well, that's out friendship."

"I do recall rescuing your ungrateful butt from a jail cell," points out Seth, raising his eyebrows. "Have we so quickly forgotten about that, mister Batman?"

Chaos sighs. "Let's call it a draw. Now, what do normal people talk about in the morning? Coffee? Work? Dates, the fruit? Dates, the relationships? I have no clue."

"Dreams." Bracken smiles. "I do believe normal people talk about dreams in the morning. Such funny little things, normal people."

Kendra laughs, elbowing Bracken in the ribs. "Well, I dreamed about a unicorn in a mental facility. It was very odd, to say the least. There was a lady there with a black horn jutting from her head that kept telling me something in Spanish or some language."

"Not as weird as my dream," approves Chaos with a curt nod, "but still weird. You found the median. Good job! My dream was about… well, I'm not sure. I was stuck at an academy. Seth, you were late. And there were pretty keys. It was extremely odd."

"Sounds odd," agrees Bracken with a frown. "But I don't even remember mine."

"Me neither." Seth shakes his head. "I'd love to add to the conversation, but I can't. Literally."

The hairs on the back of Seth's neck tingle, and he stiffens. Out of the blue, two voices joined in laughter appear. Kendra goes rigid, and Bracken gently nudges her off his lap. Chaos rises to his feet, a menacing growl rumbling in the pit of his throat.

Seth wheels around to see two wolves lying on the ground not ten feet from the campfire, their delicate wings splayed against the golden leaves. Their paws hang in the air, and red blood splatters the foliage. Laughter shakes their bodies, deep and high combined. Grey and white are sprawled together, orange laid atop blue.

"Oh my God," wheezes Brach, a tear dripping down his face. "That was the most fun I've had in ages."

"Do you remember the look on the Demon King's face?" guffaws River-Song, shaking her head. "He was all like, 'Huh?'"

That sets off another round of cackles, their bodies shaking so hard that Seth wonders if the pair is having seizures in unison. He frowns and settles back on his heels, but he's more amused than anything else. Kendra relaxes and Bracken's arm twines around her waist once more. Only Chaos remains tense, his purple eyes dark with rage.

"River-Song," Chaos growls, taking a half step forward, "did you go to Zzyzx?"

River-Song's chuckling fades abruptly. Agilely, she flips herself to her feet. All four paws thud against the solid ground, and her wings extend on either side of her body. Brach climbs up somewhat less gracefully, stumbling to his feet, still chuffing slightly with laughter.

"So what if I did?" challenges River-Song. "Are you going to call the po-po on me? Huh? You're in my forest."

"Wait," interrupts Bracken, shooting to his feet. "You transported into Zzyzx?"

"It's actually quite simple," dismisses Chaos, "with the new design. But I'll explain later. I'm hoping and praying that you didn't actually kill anything. You didn't, did you? Oh, please, lord, if a miracle should happen at any time, now would be good."

"Of course we killed stuff." River-Song raised an eyebrow. "Why else go to Zzyzx?"

"To enjoy the scenery?" suggests Brach. River-Song hits him upside the head with her tail. Surprisingly, the smack actually sounds like it hurts.

"No." Chaos's voice is a brutal snarl. He bows his head to the ground, ears laid back and forehead almost touching the leaves. "No, no, no, no, no. Why do you have to be so stupid, River-Song? Why can't you just think for a second about something other than that stomach of yours?"

Brach snarls ferociously, but River-Song flicks her ears to hold him back. "So," she questions loftily, "what's so bad about hopping into the demon world and killing stuff? I've been doing it for ages."

"Gather around me," orders Chaos, his voice cold. "Kendra, Bracken, on your feet. Form an outward facing circle. Try to keep your eyes alert, but don't focus on anything in particular. Cadeliah's swords and Vasilis II will be useful. Bracken's third horn _would_ be useful. Kendra, lend him one of yours. Keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious."

"What?" demands River-Song indignantly. Seth centers himself around Chaos, watching the unfolding sibling battle with belated interest. "I would know if there's anything in this forest, Chaos. And there's not."

Chaos gazes steadfastly at his sister. "Isn't there?"

River-Song's eyes widen. Her wings snap out. Turning to Brach, she yelps, "Fly, and quickly!" Brach casts one last confused look at them, and follows the older Fairy Wolf in a quick escape through the canopy of the trees.

"Chaos, what's going on?" whispers Kendra. One of her hands lingers on Chaos's cloak.

"Hell," answers Chaos grimly. "Hell is going on. Unbeknownst to most, a demon's soul does not die with its body. A demon's soul lingers on and searches for a new body. Bracken, you've probably dismissed all this as bedtime stories, but a lot of your bedtime stories are true. If it can get its claws into you, your entire body contorts. You are no longer who you used to be. It is like dying, but much, much worse, because your spirit will never rejoin its loved ones."

With a frown, Bracken asks, "What about Zzyzx's reopening?"

Chaos growls with annoyance. "We're still cleaning up from that. Thanks a lot, by the way. You could've cut your losses by a tenfold if you'd simply rung upon my BBM, and we wouldn't have to do so much work."

Kendra shivers. "But only River-Song and Brach came back, right?"

Chaos shakes his head curtly. "You can't see them at first. That's the thing. But when they do arrive…" Chaos trails off. "When they do arrive, they take on a face they know will hurt you. Someone you loved who had been torn away, someone who's death you believe to be your sole fault, anything along those lines. Remember, keep your gaze locked on the ground at your feet. They cannot physically approach you. And if you look at them in the eyes, well, then you're dead." Chaos's voice is flat.

Kendra shivers, her arm brushing Seth's elbow. "What was that? Over by that tree?"

Something flashes in the corner of Seth's eye. He whips his head around to see the hem of a foggy dress slide behind a trunk. "And over there, too."

"I'm not seeing – oh, wait." Bracken harrumphs. "There's something. Never mind."

"Keep your eyes off the things moving!" orders Chaos. "Keep them on the ground! You never know when it's going to be staring back at you, and then you'll be trapped in eternal hell for all ages, forever and ever, even if the demon is slayed. You do not comprehend the direness of our situation. Trapped in a demon's body and intertwined with a demon's thoughts would be worse than hell, and I've lived through hell literally. If you had to pick one thing in the world I'm most afraid of, it's going to be this. Eternal agony searing over you, never ending, never lessening, even after the demon has released you doesn't sound fun, does it? There is no coming back from that. No True Love's Kiss, no charm to break the spell. You are trapped in anguish for all eternity."

Bracken growls. "Are you trying to frighten Kendra more?"

"She should be frightened," says Seth quietly, studying the ground at his feet. "Chaos, what do these things look like, and how do we fight them?"

"You fight them by stabbing them. Or clawing them, in my case." Chaos shifts his muscles. "_They_ cannot come closer to _you_ than five feet. However, you can approach them. They look like your loved ones, except with slack fur and, ah, wrinkling faces. There's always something wrong with their eyes, because you can't copy a spirit's eyes. They are misty and foggy. When they make sudden movements, their forms evaporate and reform. They're always black and white. When they appear they make a noise like –"

A wail like a whistling teapot boiling rings almost painfully in Seth's ears. Chaos flinches. "Ehk. A sound like that. I wonder who out of all of us was easiest to read."

"Oh, what fun!" cries Cadeliah's voice, freezing Kendra. There's something missing, something very wrong about her voice that makes Seth pause. Cadeliah's voice is melodic and beautiful. This creature's voice has only one of her brilliant vocal chords. "Look at this! I'm made of mist!"

"Eyes away from her," reminds Chaos gently. He nudges Kendra comfortingly. "She's not Cadeliah."

"Oh, my tail! So wonderful, tails! In that spiritual form, I did not have a tail! I was a floating mass, child. It wasn't very interesting. But now, now there's a whole lot of interesting happening! Oh, my, look at my muzzle! And my eyes! Ha ha, look at what they did to my eyes, children!"

"Don't." Chaos shuts up as another sound like a kettle boiling over screeches through the woods, this time to Seth's left, blocking off a quick exit. "Oh, boy, there's another one. I wonder what it could be. Maybe a dragon. That's just what I need right now. A dragon."

"Seth," croaks Coulter's voice. Seth goes numb, ice creeping into his veins and a fist strangling his heart. "It hurt, Seth. It hurt so much. I didn't think it would hurt that much. I thought… I thought we'd been over this, Seth. Why did you give the Sands to Graulas? You killed me, Seth."

"You did not kill this old codger, Seth," asserts Chaos immediately. "I do believe you made a mistake. And by now, that mistake has taken care of itself. Keep your eyes on the ground until they all emerge."

Four more hisses. "I did not end in glory," booms Thunder-Soul, the leader of Caelum Amplexu's Peaks Clan. Bracken winces. "I ended in blood. You killed me. You could've healed me, you could've helped me. Why didn't you help me? Why is my nephew all alone?"

"It's so cold." Bracken recoils at the high and feathery girl's voice. It's young and fragile. "So cold. I can't feel my toes. Or my nose. I don't know how we're going to get out of this one, Bracken. I think we're going to die. Wait." She sounds confused. "That was centuries ago. I died. But you didn't. Why did you not die beside me? Why did you put your life before mine?"

"There was so much fire." Seth starts, recognizing the voice of a pup from Caelum Amplexu, Heart-Hook or something. "In Daddy's eyes. I didn't know what was wrong. I thought he had gone mad again. Sometimes, Daddy drinks things he's not supposed to, and he gets very tired. But this – this was different. Why did he kill me? Why did my Daddy kill me?"

"Why didn't my Daddy come to save me?" This girl's voice is high and light, flowing over her voice like a wind through the top leaves of a tree. Chaos goes still as a stone. "Mamma said Daddy was coming. She said Daddy was a-coming. She said not to worry. Where is my Daddy? Why didn't he come?"

Seth can't stand it. Who is this? Very carefully, he lifts his eyes to a figure standing between the frames of two trees. Its fur has a golden appearance, despite the black and white quality of its greyness. The little pup has blind eyes, milky white and unseeing, forever wondering where her daddy is. Seth shivers, recognizing Chaos's child, Swift-Song.

"Don't look at her, buddy," urges Seth as a gazillion more whistles scream through the forest. "Don't look at anything."

"Oh, I won't." Chaos's voice is hard. "But you might. All of you, go. Run and don't stop running. Keep your eyes glued to the ground. I'll fend them off. If I don't appear within a day, I either got transported to another universe, or I'm dead. Go!"

"Chaos, we can't just leave you here," growls Kendra. "What if –"

"What if, what if. I'm an old wolf, and I've trespassed too much. I've seen too much. Maybe death would be nice. I have no clue, now do I? Go!"

And with that, Chaos thrusts himself at the throat of the nearest spirit.

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER**

**Oooo, I'm so evil it sends chills down my spine!**

**Please at least take a glance at my roleplaying forum, it's called BBM. I know many of you aren't roleplayers, but I need more members! Gah! **

**POLL: So, if the soul of a demon lives on after death, does that mean Navarog is still alive out there? I won't go into that, but if someone wants to write about it, feel free to use any of my characters and whatnot.**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


	22. Chapter 21

**Sorry for not getting this out for so long. I have to go camping with the ye old bears this weekend, so you can count on not getting one then, too.**

**CLARIFICATION: I AM NOT GOING TO USE NAVAROG AS A CHARACTER IN THIS STORY AT ANY TIME. KENDRA DOES NOT FEEL GUILTY FOR HIM. I WAS THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF THE DEMON'S SPIRIT.**

**To Random Cat: I was just reading your review like, "Uh-huh, yep, there's the Lena thing again. Mmm. For Christ's sake, is it so hard to wait for a chapter? Raxtus. That's new. I wonder… hmm, maybe in the third. No, wait, definitely in the third. What am I talking about? But they've still got more. Interesting. What could they – OHMEGAREDJAAIRIEGHIRHGIEIRRUHGURHGUGHTUTH I CANT BELIEVE IT. WOLFLUVERS GOT MAIL. But then I saw your point. I have no clue how to see it. Do you have a devianART or anything like that? You can review that stuff and I'll just not moderate it. Yikes, that sounds creepy. **

**Guuuueeesst: I threw my book across the room and Didn't for at least thirty minutes. **

**Happypills: your guest name makes me worry profusely. Don't do drugs, crack is whack.**

**I just wanted to point out that my thoughts do not just stem from nothing. I got the idea of Zia when I read the second book. Brownie points to whoever can find her. There's also a brief appearance of a rogue Great Wolf in book _4_, I think it is. Basically, Grandma kills it. Fun.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One**

"A dragon, a wolf, a wolf, a wolf, a wolf, a dragon, a human, a wolf, a wolf, a wolf – oooooo, a naiad, that's new!" Despite constantly counting off every creature he sees as an apparition, Chaos does not falter in his constant barrage of blows. He lunges for the throat of the naiad, ripping it out and throwing it somewhere else. She disappears in a poof of dust and a squelching noise.

Again and again, Chaos whips his head around and buries his fangs into the ghostly hides. Normal Wolfen fangs wouldn't be able to penetrate the fog, only glancing off and disorienting the spirit. But Chaos is the King of Shadows; he can handle this small of an amount of spirits.

Chaos's paws are soon wading through the fog of the now permanently dead demons. He lunges with less strength, killing them all until only a few remain. To be precise, he leaves only four standing. Four wolves. Three pups. One mother.

Chaos turns to the mist forms of his family. They are awful reenactments, true, but the demons had nailed the basics, and even that hurts him. The way Clara seems to glare, the way Swift-Song's focus wanders with her blindness, the way Seth constantly fiddles, the way that Firefly stands like a poised guardian over her pups. It all is as it really was. And it hurts Chaos. It hurts him so much.

A tear rolls down his cheek for the first time in centuries at the sight of their faces, all yearning for Daddy. His stomach is gone, his paws are numb. Chaos falls still, not budging an inch. His muscles lock. Staring into their faces, an old wound reopens.

With a snarl, Chaos tears his gaze away from the demons, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. He growls, a sound sending trembles through his body.

"How dare you," Chaos growls.

* * *

Bracken drags Kendra's arm almost roughly through the woods, dragging her forward at speeds that she can't quite reach. Her feet stumble and trip over the leaves. No matter how jostled she becomes, Bracken's grip only tightens, and he drags her onward.

Not that Kendra is trying to be a bother. She's mulling ahead as quick as she can, her feet striking the ground in jumbled strikes. But the stress of the situation is grating on her nerves, and her feet aren't as strong as they used to be. Her breath comes out in ragged pants. Blood fills her mouth as her teeth hack unintentionally into her tongue.

Kendra's mind swims. Bracken knows she can't run this fast! Not with her legs! And yet still, he tugs her onward, completely and utterly exhausting Kendra. The demon spirits wail around Kendra, hisses arising every so often. Bracken keeps her going so fast that she can't ever comprehend what a demon may be trying to say.

Somewhere off to Kendra's left, Seth is dashing. She catches glimpses of him between trees. With the BBM cloak, he looks like an ancient warrior type thing; it flows behind him, pooling around his movements.

A hiss sounds next to Kendra's ear, a hiss she could not ignore. Lena. The woman's voice makes Kendra stop in her tracks. Kendra shivers. Bracken pulls at her arm, not turning around, trying to drag her to safety. But Kendra doesn't move an inch, bracing her weight against Bracken's strength.

Finally, instead of possibly hurting Kendra by dragging her reluctantly by the arm, Bracken turns to plead. His silver eyes are imploring and desperate. He wants to get her out. His face is streaked with grime, and his mouth twists into a begging smile.

"Kendra, let's go!" he urges, his voice somehow soft and gentle at once. "We can't just sit around and wait. And whoever that is, she's not the person you know."

Kendra had been staring at his face, trembling, instead of gazing to where she knows Lena's demon awaits. She knows it's a trap, and yet she doesn't want to play by the rules. She wants to see Lena again, she wants to hear the verbal abuse, she wants to be taught how miserable she is, because nobody in life will teach her that.

"Kendra." Bracken's voice is soft. She fixes her gaze onto his eyes. Cautiously, the unicorn steps forward, face open and tender. He outstretches his arms and wraps her in a big hug, his warm enclosing around her. After a moment of rigid defiance, Kendra goes pliant in his grasp. She buries her face into the roughness of his shirt, relishing his heat and his brawn. Her fingers knot in his collar. Desperately, Kendra attempts to escape the sounds of those she loves calling her in Bracken's warmth. His hand strokes her hair, devoid of the urgency he'd been moving with mere seconds ago.

"Kendra," Bracken sighs again. "Oh, Kendra. My Kendra. I'm so sorry for everything that's been done to you. You're so strong. So very, very strong. But even the strongest has a limit. And, Kendra, you're so close to finding yours. But I'm here. I'm not going to let anything take you away from me this time."

Kendra clutches Bracken even tighter to her. A lump of emotions forms in her throat. "You might need to carry me again," she mumbles, pressing her face deeper into his chest. The voices only seem to taunt louder.

"Anything." Bracken's arm hooks around her knees, cradling her like a baby. Kendra still clutches at his neck. "Anything at all."

Then he takes off once again. Kendra buries her head in his shirt, blocking her hearing to the wails as things evaporate around her. Once, she hears a lupine snarl, distinctively Chaos's voice. But Bracken's swift pace carries her away, leaving the voices in the dust. His entire body heaves with massive lunges. His breath swirls through Kendra's hair, somehow individual from the wind.

Kendra isn't sure how long Bracken's been running when he pauses, panting, but sweat had already soaked her fingers. She unknots her hands from his sweaty neck, pulling back and looking deep into the unicorn's eyes. He looks down at her, eyebrows bunching together. Kendra lays a hand on the side of his neck, placing it against the damp flesh. His gasps for breath move it. The lines of sweat trace down his chest and drench the silvery hairs that hang in his glistening face.

"Bracken," sighs Kendra, her hand roaming up the side of his face until it rests at his cheek. "Are we… are we away?"

He smiles tiredly. His muscles quiver supporting Kendra's weight, and his voice is strained. "Yes. I don't think I've ever run so fast in my entire life. Not sure where we are."

"Did you see where my brother went?" Kendra scrunches her eyebrows together with worry.

Bracken shrugs, the movement temporarily lifting Kendra. "The demon spirits caught up with us. Fairy Wolves must've killed a lot. Chaos was there. Your brother is probably fine."

"Probably?" inquires Kendra skeptically.

Bracken presses his lips to her forehead. "When I say probably, Kendra, I mean that Chaos would throw his life away. The only way would be if Chaos died already. Not probable."

Kendra caresses the unicorn's face, her brow creasing with worry at his weak movements. "Set me down," she orders softly, tracing his temple with her thumb. Bracken firmly shakes his head, instead tightening his grip around her.

"Not letting go. Not for a while. Sorry. Overprotective unicorn instincts. Apologies."

Kendra hesitates, then wraps her arms around Bracken's muscled neck again. She nestles against his chest, rubbing her cheek against his collar bone. Giving him her best cow-eyes, Kendra murmurs, "Fine by me. Just sit down; you're pretty spent. I promise I won't even think about wriggling from your arms."

Bracken studies her. "You might be right," he considers thoughtfully.

Kendra rolls her eyes, shaking her head slightly. "I'm a woman. Of course I'm right."

* * *

Seth stares at Chaos in awe as the wolf finishes off the last of the spirits. Hissing, the spirit evaporates, the particles drifting to the ground and disappearing. A growl tears through Chaos's body, sending ripples through his stripes.

For a scary second, when Seth looks into the eyes of the wolf, he doesn't even see Chaos anymore. The madness frothing there is terrifying. He's furious and violent. His black lips prick over his pink rubs, folding over his muzzle. The long, ivory fangs of the wolf glint, interlocked with one another in a pattern of rage. His body quivers with the force of the snarls ripping through him. The cloak is hiding most of his features, but the way it had been disturbed in battle allows Seth to glimpse the DEVIL scar across his flank. It almost seems to glow in the light.

The scariest part is that, as Seth cautiously approaches, Chaos doesn't seem to recognize him. The old wolf wheels around, snarling and snapping his teeth together in front of Seth's face. He jumps forward, teeth hurling through the air. Flinching, Seth draws back from the snarling beast, holding up his arms in surrender.

"It's me!" Seth yelps. "It's just me!"

Chaos freezes on the spot. His growl fades. His teeth remain only inches from Seth's face. Unsure of what may be going on in the wolf's mind, Seth freezes as well. There they stay for over a minute, gazes locked. Seth breathes unsteadily in and out, swallowing nervously. Gradually, sense returns to Chaos's eyes.

The wolf slumps back, dropping onto his butt like a stone. The cloak droops back into place, covering the DEVIL scar. Disbelief shines in his purple eyes. Chaos's ears pin back against his head. His mouth closes, hiding his narrow fangs, but then it drops open again. The disbelief is quickly replaced by something heartbroken.

Seth's heart jars as a tear slips down Chaos's face. Its crystal purity looks odd over his botched stripes. He closes his eyes, squinting them shut, possibly to stem the tears. Chaos turns his head away from Seth, angling it opposite him, and tilts it toward the ground. His entire posture goes from proud and kingly to hunched and depressed.

Horror mounting, Seth watches in empathetic awe as a sob tears from Chaos's chest, followed by another, and then another.

The heartbroken cadence of his cries sends shivers of uneasiness through Seth. The wolf is crying, but not over what he'd been doing. The wolf is crying over everything. Shaking his figure, onward Chaos sobs, eventually collapsing on the ground in a poof of the golden leaves.

Seth is at a loss of how to comfort the wolf. He's never seen Chaos with all his barriers down. Sure, he's seen the wolf act fatherly once in a blue moon, but never once had Chaos acted insecure. The wolf had always stood strong. His sass had made him impenetrable. Even when Chaos had felt particularly talkative, it had never been about himself, or anything else relating to him. So powerful, so mysterious, so ulterior. But this… this is something new. Seth doesn't know how to react to this new version of Chaos.

What do you do when the strongest person – or wolf – you know suddenly breaks down, needing support instead of giving it? What do you do when suddenly, someone seems to break, and there isn't a thing you can do about it.

Seth outstretches a hand, meaning to place it on the wolf's shoulder comfortingly. He moves to a kneel. But as soon as Seth's hand nears the wolf's pelt, Chaos stops sobbing abruptly.

"Go." Chaos's voice is as sharp as a razor, quiet and loud as a shout at the same time, burdened with so much hidden pain. "Go away."

Seth pauses. He hesitates, uncertain. "Chaos, what's –"

"I said _GO AWAY!_" Chaos voice rises to a terrifying roar, and suddenly, his fangs are in Seth's face, not an inch away. The wolf's foul breath fogs Seth's nostrils. The madness is back in Chaos's eyes, the anguished madness. Tears still streaking down his cheeks, Chaos lurches unsteadily to his feet, body shaking. Seth recoils, scampering back, warding the wolf off with one hand as Chaos pursues him.

The wolf's fangs drip with saliva. He snarls, stalking after Seth like a wolf infected with the Titanium Plague as Seth desperately scuttles back. "GO AWAY, SORENSON! I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY! AGAIN AND AGAIN I—" Chaos's voice breaks, and the wolf looks away again, stooping once more.

"Please." Chaos's voice is quiet and barely controlled. Seth pauses, watching the crazed wolf only inches from tearing out his throat. "Go away. Before I kill you, too."

Seth hurries to his feet. He casts one last glance at the wolf gone mad, and then sprints away, not looking back once.

* * *

"Do you know how to dance?"

Kendra starts at the unusual question. Bracken had been softly singing and rocking her, careful not to engage in anything to dominant as not to provoke her fear of Jadium. She looks up at his silver eyes, wondering where the question had originated.

"Sure." Kendra frowns. "I mean, I learned in sixth grade cotillion, when I was still a little Kendra. But I suppose that I remember the basics."

Bracken smiles playfully. "You wouldn't mind if I took you for a few spins, now would you? I wouldn't worry too much about your skills; I'm excellent."

Kendra grins. "So cocky." She worms her hand up to the side of his face, running her fingers through the outer fragments of his silky whitish hair. "But sure. I want to see exactly how excellent a dancer you are."

Softly, Bracken tugs Kendra to her feet. One of her legs is asleep, a pins and needles nightmare, but Kendra ignores it. She feels herself getting lost in the gaze of the unicorn. Gentle as a falling leaf, Bracken closes one hand around her own and wraps the other around her waist. Kendra awkwardly slings her other hand onto his shoulder, still feeling as socially unacceptable as her first cotillion. Something in Bracken's eyes dismisses her doubts. Smiling softly, eyes blazing with love, Bracken hums a melody to himself and gently begins twirling Kendra around in a circle.

Kendra allows herself to be led by Bracken. It's one thing to have Jadium forcing her to submit to every word he says, and quite another to let Bracken take charge in a tender dance. For one thing, there was nothing as gentle in Jadium's movements as there is in Bracken's. He treats her almost like a crown jewel from his kingdom, and looks at her like she's the brightest star in the world. Kendra could easily lose herself in his eyes. His beautiful, beautiful eyes.

Kendra trips over Bracken's feet more than once. Each time she does, he quietly corrects her without missing a beat. Slowly, she feels their bodies grow closer and closer together until there's nothing separating them. She loves his warmth. She loves his proximity. And most of all, she loves the burning admiration in his eyes.

She isn't sure how long they'd been dancing, her as klutzy as a goat and he as graceful as… well, graceful as a unicorn. But finally, Bracken's gently song drifts to an end. He pauses for a second, eyes conflicting. But finally, Bracken throws both his hands around her waist and hugs Kendra tightly, nearly strangling the daylights out of her.

"Is this okay?" he asks quietly after a few seconds of the choking embrace. "I mean, you're okay with me hugging you?"

"Yeah," Kendra squeaks. "I can't breathe, but I'm cool with it."

Bracken releases her gently, blushing bashfully and giving her some space. "Uh, sorry."

Kendra smiles at him. "It's alright." Kendra steps towards him, holding out her arms in an offer to dance again. "One more song?"

* * *

Seth nearly jumps out of his skin. He'd thought he'd been moving further and further away from _that_ clearing. His hand rests on the hilt of Vasilis, and every muscle in his body tenses. An involuntary shiver runs through his body.

Chaos.

The wolf has his head tipped up. A few minutes ago, it had turned from night to day like the night-light thing the wolf had explained. Seth can't discern what the wolf might be possibly looking at, but last time they'd run into one another, Chaos's train of thought hadn't been the most coherent of things.

But he's rigid now, stiff as a statue. The flutter of his cloak and the wind through his fur is the only way Seth knows he's not hallucinating. But Seth is still wary of the older wolf, unwilling to draw any nearer to him. Hesitantly, Seth turns his back, prepared to parade back into the forest and try to find his way again.

But something happens.

A warm, crisp breeze flows over Seth. It reminds Seth so much of home it sends a pang through his gut. He stops in his tracks, closing his eyes and allowing the breeze to ruffle through his hair and flap at his cloak.

_Your father isn't always the one that raises you but the one who loves you for who you are; and parents can make mistakes showing it. _Cadeliah's voice echoes in Seth's memories. _Be patient. Be kind. Do not give up on those that never give up on you. _

Seth straightens. He turns around. He studies Chaos's broken form looking up at the sky, and lets out a long, low sigh. Cautiously, he edges forward, slowly shifting himself until he's sitting next to Chaos.

Seth studies the King of Shadows. He doesn't seem very regal at the moment. Trails still show on his face where the tears had fallen, and Chaos doesn't look like he wants to wipe them away. His eyes meaninglessly meander through the canopies. Seth doesn't know what to do as the silence stretches onward.

"I'm sorry." Chaos's voice is quiet and heart-rending. "That was no behavior that was appropriate."

Awkwardly, Seth pats Chaos's cloaked shoulder. "It's okay, man. You were just a bit unhappy." He hesitates. "Can I know what about, or is that secret?"

Chaos sighs. He closes his eyes briefly, and opens them once again. "It's just that… all your days, they'll tell you all your life that it will get _better_. That everything will fade away. That everything will be okay in the end. But I've lived millennia long enough to know that isn't true. No, it only ever gets worse. But you change, too. You adapt. With every day you rise and with every day you fall back asleep, you grow a little stronger. It corrodes on your spirit, and no one can last forever, but it's a race that's meant to be run. I fight until the day I rise no more. And that day isn't quite here yet. So I keep running. And I leave all my problems in the dust, pushing them back and ignoring them until they fade completely. Because I know that someday, I'll look back and say not that I had it good, but that I had it better. And that's enough to keep me running."

Seth stares at the wolf. He claps Chaos's shoulder encouragingly. "I stand beside you. You know that, right?"

Chaos smiles. For the first time in what seems like months, Chaos truly smiles. Looking down at Seth with a warm expression, Chaos chuckles, "I know."

* * *

**Again, sorry for the tremendous wait! **

**So, last fanfiction it was about love and forgiveness. Chaos's lesson is starting to reveal itself. Yay!**

**If you get annoyed with my writing speed (I know, this one was awful for me) then you can either reread Time and Time Again or try out my BBM forum. I really don't know what else to tell you.**

**I swear to God I'm going to start crying. After reading Chaos's quote and thinking about... DON'T YOU WISH YOU KNEW.**

**POLL: So, Jadium hasn't appeared in a while, and the guardian of this forest is currently preoccupied hiding from demon spirits. Hmm. Any thoughts?**

**Ciao,**

**~wolfluvermh**


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